The United States on Friday mourned the death of former Irish Prime Minister Albert Reynolds, praising his efforts to advance the peace process in Northern Ireland.
State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf cited Reynolds' work toward the 1993 Downing Street Declaration and a 1994 Irish Republican Army ceasefire.
"Without these significant milestones, subsequent agreements -- and the remarkable gains of the peace process -- would not have been possible," she said in a statement, reaffirming U.S. commitment to helping create a lasting peace in Northern Ireland.
Reynolds, who served as prime minister from February 1992 to December 1994, died on Thursday after a long illness. He was 81.