The Taoiseach, Mr Bertie Ahern, and the British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, are to meet tomorrow to consider their next move in the Northern Ireland peace process.
|
|
The Taoiseach, Mr Bertie Ahern, will meet his British counterpart tomorrow for talks on Northern Ireland
|
Mr Ahern will join Mr Blair at Downing Street for a working dinner to discuss plans for crucial negotiations aimed at preventing the collapse of the Northern power-sharing executive.
They will try to set down a schedule for talks on the four key issues of decommissioning, demilitarisation, policing and the stability of the institutions set up under the Good Friday Agreement.
Northern Ireland Secretary Dr John Reid and Foreign Affairs Minister Mr Brian Cowen are expected to hold talks later this week with the province's parties.
A British government spokesman said tomorrow night's meeting would "review the state of the process" following Ulster Unionist leader Mr David Trimble's resignation as Northern Ireland First Minister over lack of movement on IRA decommissioning.
Northern Ireland's pro-Agreement parties have six weeks to strike a deal on decommissioning, policing, demilitarisation and the institutions in order to secure Mr Trimble and Mr Seamus Mallon's re-election in the Assembly as First and Deputy First Ministers.
PA