The Northern Ireland Secretary, Mr Paul Murphy, tonight said the Northern Ireland peace process is "not standing still" following a meeting with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Cowen, in London.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Brian Cowen
The meeting was a session of the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference aimed at discussing the report into paramilitary violence in Northern Ireland. Following the meeting the two governments said the review of the Belfast Agreement will reconvene next Tuesday.
Speaking after the meeting Mr Cowen said both governments were committed to driving forward the agenda of he agreement.
"We would like to see all the parties, obviously, involved and the institutions working as they were set out to work. But we know that there are political difficulties and we need to confront those," he said.
"We are all committed to making this process work. There is a problem with one side of the community about whether paramilitary activity can be brought to an end and whether we can see partnership government put in place to everyone's satisfaction."
Mr Murphy said: "The governments are not standing still, the process is not standing still." He said they would address the implications of yesterday's report and the way ahead for the peace process. He said talks on the review of the Belfast Agreement would re-start within the next couple of weeks.
Mr Murphy insisted progress could be made despite the tense atmosphere in Northern Ireland. He said yesterday's report simply revealed issues that people in Northern Ireland were already well aware of. "It doesn't mean to say that we stop progress," he said.
"It tells us that there are obstacles to be overcome, which are difficult ones. But I think there is a will there amongst all the political parties and the two governments to make progress.
"It is not going to be easy, we never thought it was going to be easy. But nevertheless we intend to carry on. We are not standing still."