Northern Ireland's First Minister, David Trimble, has said peace in the province must be secured in the next 12 months.

In his New Year message, Mr Trimble said more had been achieved in the past year than most people would have believed possible, but there was still much to be done.

David Trimble: "Daily beatings" must stop

"1999 must be the year in which peace is finally and completely secured. In the referendum the people voted for a real peace," he said.

"The maintenance of private armies and the daily beatings and intimidation are incompatible with the peace they voted for," said Mr Trimble. The New Year must be the one in which paramilitaries carried out their obligations under the Good Friday Agreement and delivered real peace. But he was positive about progress made in the last year.

"Whatever happens, 1998 was the year we crossed the watershed. The mountains are behind us. There are still hills in front, but I believe we can make our way through them," he said.

'If the will exists progress can be made'

In his message Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams said if all parties honoured their commitments to the agreement they could make major steps towards a lasting peace.

Gerry Adams: "Looking to a new future"

The major issues facing all sides were the establishment of the Assembly executive, an all-Ireland ministerial council and cross-border policy and implementations bodies, he said.

"If the political will exists and if the parties to the agreement honour their commitments then progress will be made," said Mr Adams. But he warned that progress could not be made until Mr Trimble "stopped looking over his shoulder at the past" and to those in his party who were against change.

He urged the UK and Irish Governments to renew efforts to move the process forward.

"For our part Sinn Fein has repeatedly demonstrated our commitment to the peace process," he said. "We are looking to a new future, a new century, now only 12 months away."

The Assembly is due to meet later this month to ratify the agreement on the structures of government for the province.