Prime Minister Jean Chretien held meetings with political leaders in Northern Ireland on Sunday, as part of his effort to lend Canada's support to the stalled peace process.

It's the first visit by a Canadian prime minister to Northern Ireland in 40 years, and some are saying it couldn't have come at a better time.

"I am very proud to be here on the eve of the beginning of the Northern Ireland parliament," Chretien said at a ceremony Friday evening.

Talks to set up a Protestant-Catholic government in the province are at a standstill.

Catholic and Protestant leaders signed a landmark peace agreement on Good Friday last year. Ever since, talks have been blocked by the refusal of the Irish Republican Army to surrender its weapons to the commission headed by retired Canadian Gen. John de Chastelain.

The deadline for the talks to wrap up is June 30.

During his visit, Chretien said the provinces of Northern Ireland and Quebec have one problem in common: people focusing on the past, rather than the future.

"Me, too, I wish that the French had won the battle on the Plains of Abraham," said the prime minister. "But I was not there to wake up Montcalm, who was sleeping."

The prime minister says he has seen some evidence during this visit that there is a will for the two sides to come to an agreement. But getting there isn't easy.

"I saw a great determination to make it work," Chretien said. "Of course, it's very complicated, it's very emotional, there's a lot of history behind that."

Negotiators in Northern Ireland have seen many deadlines come and go. While no one wants to say there is anything sacred about the deadline at the end of this month, there is a fear that a lot of momentum could be lost if talks break down.

Chretien has moved on to the Irish Republic for a three-day visit. On Thursday he flies to Cologne, Germany, for the annual meeting of the Group of Eight industrialized countries.