Ahern, Blair to chair NI peace talks in London

The Taoiseach and the British Prime Minister are to host  talks with the Northern parties near London next week.

The Taoiseach and the British Prime Minister are to host  talks with the Northern parties near London next week.

Agreement to hold the meetings was reached during talks between Mr Ahern and Mr Blair during the European Union summit in Brussels.

The bilateral meetings are being held in an effort to  breaking the current  political impasse and restore the institutions at Stormont.

"The purpose of the meetings is to review and assess the situation in the peace process with the parties before the summer break and to explore further the basis for a way forward," Downing Street said in a statement.

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The talks at  Lancaster House next Friday will be chaired by Mr Blair and Mr Bush. The will be no round-table session.

Sinn Fein, the SDLP, the DUP and the UUP have all confirmed that they will be attending the talks.

The London talks will be concluded by early Friday afternoon to allow the  Taoiseach to return to Shannon for the visit of the US president, Mr George W Bush.