BRUSSELS (AFP) — Northern Ireland leaders and former foes Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness on Thursday hailed a new "open door" relationship with Europe in their historic first joint visit to the EU headquarters.
"We have the doors to Europe wide open," said First Minister Paisley, following talks with European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso. In 25 years previously as a member of the European parliament he had "try to kick down the doors" he said, describing the visit as "historic."
"We have to accept that for many years much of our relations with the European Union was through the British government," said deputy first minister McGuinness, adding the hope that the relationship will now go "from strength to strength."
Paisley also contrasted the EU's largesse towards Northern Ireland, 2.5 billion euros over the last 20 years and 1.1 billion euros promised between 2007-2013, against that of the British treasury.
The Northern Irish and European leaders also announced the setting up of what they called a "one-stop shop" whereby junior Northern Ireland ministers Ian Paisley Jr. and Gerry Kelly would deal directly with senior European Commission regional policy official Ronnie Hall.
Despite the new European bonhomie, Protestant leader Paisley dismissed as "utter nonsense" an Irish reporter's request for a handshake with former Irish Republican Army chief of staff McGuinness.
For years, the two men stood on either side of Northern Ireland's bloody sectarian divide.
The leaders of the power-sharing Northern Ireland Assembly, which since last May has brought the Protestant and Catholic communities together while remaining part of Britain, have never shaken hands in public.
"I'm sick and tired of people shaking hands and then going out and cutting each others' throats," Paisley told reporters as he held a joint press conference with McGuinness and Barroso.
Barroso stressed the help which the Northern Ireland leaders could offer to parts of Europe and the wider world still suffering from internal strife.
"The expertise of concrete conflict-solving can be used for other situations" he said.
One area of disagreement between both Northern Ireland leaders and Barroso was their wish for a referendum on the EU's Lisbon treaty, aimed at updating the bloc, something which will go to a referendum in Ireland but not in Britain.
Barroso last year set up a special European Commission task force on Northern Ireland which is due to report for the first time next month on how best to utilise EU expertise and resources, particularly in the areas of research and development, agriculture and attracting private investment.
The three men announced that the EU task force's work would be extended beyond February.
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