Prime Minister O'Neill, who is the first Prime Minister of the United Kingdom's Northern Ireland government to take office from a party advocating unification with Ireland, held a press conference and expressed his desire to hold a referendum on the pros and cons of unification within 10 years.
In Northern Ireland, after years of bitter conflict between Catholics who want separation from Britain and Protestants who oppose it, political parties representing both sides jointly run an autonomous government under a 1998 peace agreement. Masu.
Prime Minister O'Neill, who took office for the first time this month from the Catholic Sinn Féin party, which advocates unification with Ireland, held a press conference at the Foreign Correspondents' Club in London on the 8th.
Prime Minister O'Neill said, ``These 10 years have been an opportunity. People will ultimately decide about their future,'' and expressed his desire to hold a referendum on whether to unify within the next 10 years. .
Although holding a referendum requires the consent of the British government, Prime Minister O'Neill referred to the peace agreement that states that the ownership of Northern Ireland is left to the will of the people, and argues that if public will grows, the British government should respect it. did.
The Sinn Féin party was originally the political wing of the extremist group IRA (Irish Republican Army), which has repeatedly engaged in armed struggles in the past, and has grown to become the largest opposition party in Ireland.
Party leader Macdonald, who spoke alongside the two parties, said, ``We will involve everyone in discussions and make preparations,'' and expressed his intention to increase momentum toward unification on the Irish side.