The Northern Ireland Secretary, Dr Mo Mowlam, will meet the Democratic Unionist Party leader, the Rev Ian Paisley, in London tomorrow to persuade him and his party to take its place at multi-party talks at Stormont next month.
The meeting will come the day after Dr Mowlam holds her first meeting with the president of Sinn Fein, Mr Gerry Adams, at Stormont today.
Dr Mowlam is keen to impress on Dr Paisley, and his deputy, Mr Peter Robinson, that inclusive talks should mean just that. However, the DUP's decision to walk out of talks last month in protest at the British-Irish formula for addressing the arms issue alongside talks will be an obvious stumbling block.
Dr Mowlam is expected to stress to the DUP leadership that it must take its place at the talks to ensure that the party boards the "peace train" as it moves towards a political settlement.