[Sinn Fein]

27 July 1997

`Adams for the USA'

Mairéad Keane, Sinn Fein Representative to the United States today dismissed reports in the Sunday Times that Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams will be applying for a visa this week or that he will be traveling to the United States in August.

Mairéad Keane said:

Mr. Adams will be traveling to the United States in early September. While no firm schedule has yet been arranged, it is expected that he will participate in at least one major fund raising event in New York before traveling to Washington.

In recent weeks Mr. Adams has been in regular contact with senior political figures on Capitol Hill and he particularly wants to meet an thank them for their consistent support for peace in Ireland over the years.

Speaking today from Belfast in a television interview with Fox T.V., Mr. Adams praised the contribution of President Clinton and his refusal to be deflected from pushing ahead with the efforts for peace in Ireland.

Speaking afterwards Mr. Adams:

``Politicians like Congressman Ben Gilman, who chairs the influential House International Relations Committee; Congressmen Peter King and Richard Neal, who co-chair the Ad-Hoc Committee on Irish Affairs; Congressmen Joseph Kennedy, Tom Manton, James Walsh; Senator Chris Dodd, Democratic Party Chair, and Senator Edward Kennedy and many others have all taken a very direct interest in events here. Both Democratic Party and Republican Party politicians have played a crucial role in keeping the hope of peace alive even during the most difficult periods. I have spoken to many of them in the past week and I remain absolutely convinced that they will continue to play a pro-active part in the peace process.''

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