PROGRESS made so far augured well for the future of the talks the Minister for Justice, Mrs Owen, said at Stormont yesterday.
"There are probably many who thought we wouldn't be able to get past the first day. The first day was difficult but we have now made progress. So it augurs well for the spirit of the talks. The atmosphere was very good yesterday despite the fact that we were having difficult discussions."
She had a message for republicans and Sinn Fein: "They should get the ceasefire restored so they can take part. They are now obviously the big gap in the room."
She pointed out that Senator George Mitchell now occupied the chair, "a position that perhaps others a few days ago might have said would be impossible". On the stand off between the Government and Sinn Fein over condemning the Adare killing, Mrs Owen said: "It is important that all people who profess to live by peaceful methods would condemn violent and appalling acts."
The Ulster Unionist Party leader, Mr David Trimble, told journalists his party had succeeded in blocking the attempt by the two governments to impose particular guidelines on the talks.
The delegates themselves could now determine how the proceedings would develop. "We have this opportunity in the course of the next week to define the role of the chairman in satisfactory terms and I hope all those who had reservations about the chairman and who did not want to see a political supremo will now consider coming and supporting the Ulster Unionist Party in trying to achieve that objective."
Outlining the DUP's the Rev Ian Paisley said: "The first strand of the talks are chaired by the Secretary of State - we will be there. The strand are chaired by the (de Chastelain) - we will there. We will not sit under chairmanship of the US President - Clinton's nominee - nor under the chairmanship of a man who has the blessing of the IRA upon head."
The leader of the United Kingdom Unionist Party, McCartney, told reporters: "I be involved in Strand One and Strand Two." However, he did not accept the chairmanship Mr Mitchell who was "an envoy of the United States President".
Criticising Mr McCartney's party, Mr Ken Maginnis of the UUP said: "I think Mr McCartney is discovering that political negotiations are somewhat different from acting on behalf of insurance companies within the law courts."
On decommissioning, Mr David Ervine of the Progressive Unionist Party said: "Whilst I wish greatly that our society was totally devoid of weapons I'd have to say that the reality of that being achieved simply because Mr Trimble demands it is an absolute nonsense."
A Sinn Fein protest over the party's exclusion from the negotiations was halted by the RUC about half a mile from where the talks are being held. Ms Dodie McGuinness, a Sinn Fein member of the Northern Ireland Forum, said the party was being subjected to "second class treatment".