The Taoiseach and British Prime Minster have hosted a round of talks with pro-Belfast Agreement parties at Hillsborough Castle in an effort to re-establish the North's power-sharing institutions. The two leaders said tonight they were hoping to see progress by March 3rd to overcome the stalling peace process
Mr Ahern and Mr Blair met privately for an hour-long summit before beginning a round of individual meetings with the parties in a bid to break the deadlock.
The two leaders said they would meet again in less than three weeks' time to finalise a possible agreement between the parties. A primary goal for the talks was to salvage the Stormont assembly and power-sharing executive, which was suspended last October 14th, plunging the 1998 Belfast Agreement intocrisis.
The two governments also hoped to win an assurance from Sinn Féin, that the IRA is ready to engage in a process of irreversible disarmament. The meeting was "significant but not decisive," a Government spokesman said, adding it was "about general outline not detail".
Speaking after the talks, Sinn Fein's Mr Mitchell McLaughlin, said his party remained "frustrated" by the lack of progress.
He said there was a "lack of specific details" but added the talks were "only the beginning of a process of intensive negotiations".
A Government negotiator said the future of the assembly must be solved by mid March, ahead of planned elections on May 1st.