Pressure on the Ulster Unionists and Sinn Fein to agree a compromise on the decommissioning issue will continue in London today where the Prime Minister, Mr Blair, is expected to hold separate talks with Mr David Trimble and Mr Gerry Adams.
However, expectations of an imminent breakthrough - fuelled by the sheer intensity of diplomatic efforts in Belfast, London and Dublin - were checked last night as a spokesman for the Ulster Unionist leader insisted a solution could not be based on "a form of words" about future republican intentions.
Mr Blair's precise diary plans had not been finalised last night. So while British sources confirmed he would meet the Ulster Unionist leader this morning the possibility remained that his meeting with Mr Adams might yet be scheduled for tomorrow. Mr Blair wants to hear a firsthand account of the latest round of bilateral talks between the Ulster Unionists and Sinn Fein, ahead of resumed discussions later in the week, probably on Friday, involving the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, the SDLP leader, Mr John Hume, and his deputy, Mr Seamus Mallon.
Sources yesterday confirmed that both governments were "fearful" about the consequences of failure to resolve the decommissioning issue and establish the power-sharing executive before the European election campaign gets into full swing, and ahead of the marching season.
The hope in both capitals appears to be that a statement of republican intent - offering some degree of "certainty" that decommissioning can be achieved in the context of the overall implementation of the Belfast Agreement - might persuade the Ulster Unionists to drop their demand for an actual start to decommissioning prior to the transfer of powers to the Assembly.
However, after yesterday's meeting between the UUP and Sinn Fein leaderships at Stormont, a spokesman for Mr Trimble told The Irish Times this would not work. He said such a formulation "wouldn't provide a visible demonstration of a commitment to purely peaceful and democratic means" nor would it "comply with the terms of the Agreement nor conform to the principles enunciated in the Hillsborough declaration" by Mr Blair and Mr Ahern just before Easter.
At the same time a senior Sinn Fein source insisted that, whatever was under discussion, "we're not talking about actuality" (actual decommissioning) and repeated the party's view that "the key question is whether Tony Blair can move David Trimble".
Despite denials, it seems clear that continuing attempts to resolve the situation at Drumcree - as well as behind-the-scenes moves to have the loyalist paramilitaries redefine their attitude to the decommissioning issue - are part of a wider game-plan to try to build unionist and republican confidence each in the others' commitment to make the process work.
But while last Thursday's bilateral meeting between Mr Trimble and Mr Adams was viewed as a "very important" development in that context, one official source last night said the possibility of a breakthrough remained "touch and go".
In Belfast, both the Ulster Unionist Party and Sinn Fein described yesterday's bilateral meeting at Stormont as "disappointing". Each side accused the other of failing to bring any new ideas. Sinn Fein's chief negotiator, Mr Martin McGuinness, said the position being adopted by the UUP on the arms issue was a "serious mistake". He added that the way around the current impasse lay with Mr Blair.
"Our position is that we don't accept the approach being adopted by the Ulster Unionist Party. We can understand the context under which it evolved and developed but their position is a serious mistake.
"We believe that the context must effectively be changed by the British Prime Minister. He is the key and in our opinion the British Prime Minister has to liberate Mr Trimble from the present position that he has adopted." Mr McGuinness insisted that the meeting was disappointing but not a setback. He called for last week's negotiations in Downing Street to be reconvened, a development that emerged later in the day with confirmation from Downing Street that Mr Blair would meet Mr Trimble today, with an imminent meeting to be arranged with Mr Adams.
Sir Reg Empey of the UUP said his party's position had not altered after the meeting and a credible start to decommissioning was still necessary before UUP ministers would enter into an executive with Sinn Fein.
"During the weekend the republican movement indicated that IRA decommissioning was undeliverable. The other side of this equation is that until this matter is resolved to the satisfaction of the parties, an executive is equally undeliverable." He stressed that the parties in the Assembly would have the final say as to when the institutions of government were set up. "The way the system in here works is that the parties in here determine what happens and when it happens. External pressure, while it can be applied and brought to bear and at times can be very helpful, does not in and of itself resolve the difficulties." Referring to claims made earlier by Mr McGuinness, Sir Reg said Mr Blair did not hold the key but rather "the key to unlocking the door is in this building". In a round-table meeting later yesterday, incorporating the smaller Assembly parties, representatives from each party spoke on proposals to overcome the impasse which have been tabled by the Women's Coalition, SDLP leader Mr Hume and others. The meeting was chaired by the North's Development Minister, Mr Paul Murphy, and was also attended by the Northern Secretary, Dr Mo Mowlam.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Andrews, welcomed what he viewed as an "emerging spirit of compromise" coming out of the talks process, adds Gerry Moriarty.
He said in Belfast after the round-table talks that much of the work directed at resolving the decommissioning deadlock would take place "behind the scenes".