The move was widely welcomed. A statement from the U.S. Consulate in Belfast described the move as another important and necessary step along the path to a secure and lasting peace in Northern Ireland.
"We pay tribute to the work of General John de Chastelain and his colleagues in the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning for their oversight and support of this process.
"America believes that only through dialogue and positive political engagement will the people of Northern Ireland achieve the peaceful and prosperous future they desire and deserve, and this move today further confirms that violence has no place in that future," the U.S. statement said.
