The North's pro-agreement parties renewed their commitment to the full implementation of the Belfast Agreement during a round-table meeting at Castle Building yesterday. This was the first formal discussion since the suspension of the executive.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Cowen, and the Northern Secretary, Mr Peter Mandelson, held a day-long series of bilateral meetings with the parties before chairing the meeting last night of all signatories to the agreement.
Mr Cowen said a "tough and frank" exchange of views had occurred, but stressed that no party was seeking to renegotiate the agreement. "We've seen the success of these institutions when they are up and running. We have seen the support of the people North and South when the institutions are in operation," he said.
Decommissioning was an essential element of the accord but confidence had to be established in both communities on the issue. The two governments intended to work together to devise a strategy.
Mr Mandelson said all signatories had renewed their commitment to work together to take the process forward, had agreed that the political institutions had functioned successfully, benefiting all, and that they should be restored as soon as possible.
"I draw some optimism from our meetings today. There clearly remain significant difficulties and differences. But I also detect important common ground," he said.
Commenting on a possible extension of the May 22nd deadline for decommissioning, which is set out in the agreement, Mr Mandelson said he was "open to any issue" raised during future talks.
After the round-table meeting the UUP leader, Mr David Trimble, said a talks process was beginning to evolve to tackle the current impasse. Mr Trimble sat beside the Sinn Fein president, Mr Gerry Adams, during the meeting.
He said he did not wish to renegotiate the agreement but stressed that an end to ambiguity in the process was necessary, with "no more nods and winks, and for people to know precisely and clearly where we stand."
He added, "We would dearly love to see what are now the last remaining issues in this process settled once and for all."
Several parties, he said, had reiterated their commitment to the three principles agreed by the parties in the Mitchell review, namely devolution, decommissioning, and that decommissioning was to be overseen by Gen de Chastelain's decommissioning body.
Mr Adams, arriving for the meetings, said he wanted to ask the Northern Secretary when the institutions would be restored. He later said his party was "no wiser" on this issue and stressed it was its primary concern.
His party did not intend to continue "chasing its tail" over demands for IRA decommissioning. "That's a matter for David Trimble and the IRA. It is certainly nothing to do with Sinn Fein," he said.
The SDLP leader, Mr John Hume, described the round-table session as "very constructive" and said the positive aspects of the situation should be stressed so issues could be resolved.
"What is very clear is that both governments and all parties are totally committed in implementing all aspects of the Good Friday agreement," he added.
The DUP also met Mr Mandelson yesterday. The party leader, the Rev Ian Paisley, called for three extra British government ministers to be sent to the Northern Ireland Office to exercise direct rule. "We are not being governed at the current time," he said.
The Women's Coalition yesterday proposed establishing an implementation committee composed of all the pro-agreement parties and both governments which would be a parallel and inter-linking process with the de Chastelain commission.