By KUNA,
London : Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and his Irish counterpart Bertie Ahern will be honored by Queen’s University, in Belfast, Northern Ireland, for their role in the Ulster peace process, it was announced Wednesday.
Blair and the recently retired Irish Premier will be presented honorary degrees at a ceremony on Thursday, the university said.
While Ahern will be traveling from Dublin, in the Irish Republic, to receive his doctorate of law, Blair will not be able to attend the ceremony, but will appear and express his thanks through a video recorded in his London office last month, the university added.
It is understood to be the first honorary degree awarded to Blair since he stood down as British Prime Minister last year.
Queen’s University said the two men, who both led their countries for more than a decade, were being honored in recognition of the significant contribution they made to the cause of peace in Northern Ireland.
The awards are being made at the beginning of a major conference at the university which will be exploring the lessons to be learned from Northern Ireland’s experience of peace-building and regeneration.
The Mitchell Conference, named after the university’s Chancellor, the US Senator George Mitchell, who chaired the political talks which led to the signing of the Northern Ireland Peace Agreement, is a joint initiative by Queen’s University and Georgetown University in Washington.
It will bring together political, community and business leaders, including the first Northern Ireland First Minister and Deputy First Minister, Lord Trimble and Seamus Mallon.
The two-day gathering will examine how Northern Ireland’s transformation can inspire others in conflict zones across the globe.
Blair and Ahern share more than their determination over the Northern Ireland question.
Both took office in 1997, both won three General Elections and while Blair was the youngest British Prime Minister of the 20th century, Ahern was the youngest Irish Premier of modern times.