Blair welcomes N. Ireland power-sharing deal

BELFAST (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Tony Blair welcomed a power-sharing deal reached on Monday by Northern Ireland's main Protestant and Catholic political parties.

"This is a very important day for the people of Northern Ireland ... In a sense everything we've done in the last 10 years has been a preparation for this moment," he said.

"The people of Northern Ireland have ... said: 'We want peace and power-sharing and people working together' and the political leadership has then come in behind that and said: 'We will deliver what the people want'," he said.