Ford welcomes Tsvangirai to Liberal International Congress in Belfast

9.21.00am BST (GMT +0100) Fri 16th May 2008

Alliance Leader David Ford has welcomed Morgan Tsvangirai to the Liberal International Congress in Belfast and said that the need for a shared future is more important now than it has ever been. The Alliance Party is hosting the Liberal International Congress which is taking place at the Europa Hotel today and tomorrow.

The South Antrim MLA said: "This is a historic day for Northern Ireland. It is a massive honour for Belfast and the Alliance Party to host the 55th Liberal International Congress and to have Morgan Tsvangirai alongside us today.

"I believe that this visit is a sign of better days ahead for both Northern Ireland and Zimbabwe. The event underlines the importance of democracy across the globe. This world has no place for dictators and a peaceful shared future is the only way forward.

"The theme of the congress is 'our shard future' and this issue has never been more important than it is today. This issue applied both locally and globally. Locally, the Stormont Executive continues to fail to tackle segregation and this failure costs £1 billion every year. Globally, good relations are essential to help eradicate conflict and terrorism, to tackle poverty and to protect the environment.

"Greater collaboration will help us crack down on the causes of terrorism, improve international development strategies and cut emissions, as pollution recognises no borders. Alliance reaches out to other organisation across the world as we know how much international affairs can affect local issues.

"Creating a shared future for all is extremely important, especially here in Northern Ireland and I hope that the Stormont Executive takes on board the key message of this Congress."

ENDS