It's not much, but it's progress

摘要

Agreeing to talk to the messenger might not seem like a great step forward for two warring parties. But in Northern Ireland, where the devolved legislative assembly at Stormont has been suspended since October 2002, it counts as progress. Most people in Belfast believe that the formal negotiations begun this week may need at least another year to produce a stable devolved government. Nevertheless, more has changed than this frustratingly slow process suggests.