Richard Haass begins peace talks in Northern Ireland

Former US Diplomat Richard Haass began peace talks in Belfast, in Northern Ireland, on Tuesday.

According to The Irish Times, the talks will center on those problems not dealt with by the peace process—mainly, on the flags and parades which have caused mass rioting between Catholic and Protestant communities, as well as past history.

While there has been improvement in relations between Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland since the signing of the Belfast Agreement in 1998, this past summer was one of the most difficult since the agreement, what with mass protests and riots over flags, emblems and parades leading to violence in the streets.

Haas will spend four months in Northern Ireland meeting with rival Protestant and Catholic parties, as well as churches, parading organizations and militant pressure groups, FOX News reports. He hopes to be able to come to a compromise concerning parades; British and Irish flags, symbols and emblems; and remembering the tumultuous history of Northern Ireland, particularly, The Troubles, the country’s four-decade long conflict.