David Ford said: “Harri was a man of massive integrity who played a key role in the peace process in Northern Ireland. He will always be remembered for his fairness and for his diligence in his role as co-chair of the peace talks.
“Harri was held in very high regard in the international community for the work he did here and with the UN, and our thoughts are with his family and friends at this very difficult time.
“The people of Northern Ireland owe Harri an enormous debt of gratitude for his hard work in this role and for his ability to help in moving the process forward.”
ENDS