Historic state visit to the UK by Michael D. Higgins, Irish President.

[Hookah Smoking Caterpiller]

London and Dublin have a shared responsibility to ensure that the final steps are taken towards a "lasting and creative reconciliation" in Northern Ireland, the Irish president, Michael D Higgins, said in a historic speech to a joint session of parliament.

In the first address to the British parliament by an Irish president, Higgins hailed the 1998 Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland as a "momentous" achievement that was a key milestone on the "road to today's warm, deep and enduring Irish-British friendship".

Higgins added: "Our two countries can take immense pride in the progress of the cause of peace in Northern Ireland. But of course there is still a road to be travelled – the road of a lasting and creative reconciliation. Our two governments have a shared responsibility to encourage and support those who need to complete the journey of making peace permanent and constructive – enduring."

source

An important visit and another step in the peace process, and the reconciliation between the UK and Ireland. As a Brit with an Irish parent I'm glad that these two nations are resolving their disputes and creating a strong bond between them.

[The Bold Burgundian]

I've seen brain operations performed by cerebral palsy victims using pipe wrenches turn out better than this will.

[Roma_Victrix]

I've seen brain operations performed by cerebral palsy victims using pipe wrenches turn out better than this will.

Pomp and circumstance aside, doesn't President Higgins just look like such a sweet old man? He's the type of guy who (if I had kids) I'd want to read my kids bedtime stories.

[Geronimo2006]

Russia and Ukraine take note. Resolve your differences diplomatically like we did.

[ivan_the_terrible]

Russia and Ukraine take note. Resolve your differences diplomatically like we did.

You were killing each other into the 1980s. Respectfully, I think we can find better examples to look up to.

[Denny Crane!]

You were killing each other into the 1980s. Respectfully, I think we can find better examples to look up to.

I think the point is rather what we are doing now rather than then but point taken.

With regards to this thread I actually do not care about this visit. The troubles have been diminishing and dying over the last decade. I really don't care about the token visit, even less after hearing non stop news on it for the last week. It is token significant of what has already happened, necessary but not really worth talking about. It just had to happen, YAY and goodnight.

[ivan_the_terrible]

I think the point is rather what we are doing now rather than then but point taken.

I probably over-reacted. There are definitely similarities between the two cases, especially in the sense of a condescending, imperial-provincial treatment at the highest political level. But I also think that the lines between the Russian and Ukrainian cultures are much more blurred, and that there's a much smoother cultural and religious continuum, as well as even more intermixing at the lowest, grass-roots level (there are literally millions of families, like mine, who are Russian-speaking but have Ukrainian roots, and vice-versa). That cultural proximity is probably why there was never so much violence between the two groups -- or rather there was plenty of violence in the area in its time, but it was never so clearly 'Ukrainian vs Russian' violence (except perhaps in the far west of Ukraine).

So I agree that the end of hostilities between the British and the Irish is a great example -- the capacity of the younger generations to forgive is actually really uplifting. I just think that Russians and Ukrainians (at least central and eastern Ukrainians), have a lot less bad blood to put aside. To make an analogy, I think the Russian-Ukrainian case is more like a family squabble than a feud between two families.

[Roma_Victrix]

This thread veered off course quickly. Not that I'm not enjoying it.

President Higgins! He's so adorable! If I ever see him, I'm going to give him a hug.