The US, Irish and British governments were all "on the same page" in relation to developments in the North, the US special envoy on Northern Ireland Mitchell Reiss said in Dublin yesterday.
Speaking at a joint news conference with Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern, Dr Reiss said he had just come from Belfast where he met all the political parties. He was encouraged by what he heard and urged them to seize the opportunity. "The deadline of November 24th looms large: it's going to come upon us faster, I think, than people realise.
"We need to start getting on with the business, talking to each other, trying to work out some of the problems today and not leave them till the last minute."
He added: "The United States is committed to seeing this process through to its ultimate success. Every day where there is not a fully restored Assembly and Executive is a disappointment, not just for the governments but especially for the people of Northern Ireland. There is business to be done, we want the politicians to get on with it."
He denied that the US was putting any pressure on the parties to reach agreement. "We are trying to encourage everybody, not pressure them per se."
Mr Ahern said: "It's fair to say that there is an onus on the parties and I think they appreciate that. The public expect them to do the business now that they have come back to the Assembly." There was going to be "a fairly difficult period" between now and November but it was being left to the parties to agree.