The Irish Republican Army has announced another step toward disarmament, placing more of its illegal weapons beyond use. 

In a statement, the IRA said it had presented another part of its arsenal to international disarmament officials in efforts to stabilize, sustain and strengthen the Northern Ireland peace process. 

The head of the province's disarmament commission, retired Canadian General John de Chastelain, confirmed that the IRA had placed a varied and substantial quantity of ammunition, arms and explosive materials beyond use. But he gave no details. 

The IRA took its first step toward disarmament required under the 1998 Good Friday Peace Accord last October, when it scrapped its first cache of weapons built up over the 30 years of its campaign to end British rule in Northern Ireland. 

The Good Friday accord led to the creation of the province's current power-sharing government, which brings together both Catholic and Protestant parties. 

British Prime Minister Tony Blair welcomed the latest IRA move as immensely significant. But in comments while on a visit to Prague, the British leader said the Northern Ireland peace process still has a long way to go. 

In Belfast, the Protestant leader of Northern Ireland's power-sharing government, David Trimble, expressed hope the action will increase pressure on Protestant groups to also begin surrendering weapons. 

However, representatives of other Protestant groups in Northern Ireland played down the significance of the development. They called it a tactic to help Sinn Fein, the political wing of the IRA, win seats in parliamentary elections in the Republic of Ireland, expected in May. 

Some information for this report provided by AFP and Reuters.

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