The British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, will meet the leaders of the main proagreement parties at Downing Street today as part of the talks aimed at resolving the political impasse in Northern Ireland.
Discussions will focus on the outstanding issues of decommissioning, demilitarisation and police reform.
The Taoiseach may meet Mr Blair towards the end of the week to review progress. Sources say they are reluctant to hold a round-table session involving all the parties - similar to past intensive meetings which took place over several days at Stormont and Hillsborough - unless they feel they are close to agreement.
Mr Blair will hold separate talks with the leaders of the Ulster Unionist Party, the SDLP and Sinn Fein as efforts intensify to reach agreement. The talks are also expected to focus on the Ulster Unionist Party's ban on Sinn Fein ministers attending North-South Ministerial Council meetings.
After the cancellation of the British-Irish Council meeting, which had been due to take place in Dublin today, and Mr Blair's talks with the parties at Hillsborough Castle last week, British and Irish officials continued their discussions in London.
Mr Blair's official spokesman said there had been "a lot of intensive discussion" between officials over the weekend and the talks had continued yesterday. He said the cancellation of the British-Irish Council meeting, which has been rescheduled for February 5th at Dublin Castle, had enabled officials and politicians to continue their discussions.
"A lot of the politicians and officials involved who would be expected to attend are involved in discussions continuing from last week's visit, in relation to some of the outstanding difficulties," he said.
The First Minister, Mr David Trimble, said the British-Irish Council meeting had been cancelled because Dublin and London believed it would have been a "distraction" from the efforts to reach agreement between the pro-agreement parties.
"The view that was taken by the British and Irish governments was that to hold the BIC meeting would be a distraction in the context of those discussions which we hope will result in significant progress and the implementation of the agreement," Mr Trimble said.
The two governments will decide towards the end of this week whether to intensify efforts to reach agreement in the North or face the prospect of having no deal before the summer.
A decision is likely to be taken later in the week, according to sources in both governments, on whether and how to intensify the process.
British and Irish sources indicated last night that they believed there were just 10 days left to reach agreement, although there is no unmovable deadline. However, should no deal be made by January 31st, they fear that the impending British election will make it very difficult for the North's political leaders to make the necessary compromises.
Both governments confirmed yesterday that the meeting of the British/Irish Council, due to be held in Dublin Castle today, has been postponed. The session, to have included the Taoiseach, the British Prime Minister and Northern political representatives as well as leaders from Scotland, Wales, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands, will now go ahead in Dublin Castle on February 5th.
The postponement was decided over the weekend and confirmed yesterday after telephone discussions this morning between Mr Ahern and Mr Blair.
Mr Blair's official spokesman said yesterday: "A lot of the politicians and officials involved who would be expected to attend are involved in discussions continuing from last week's visit, in relation to some of the outstanding difficulties. There has been a lot of intensive discussion over the weekend, and there will be more."
However, Sinn Fein dismissed this reason for the postponement, saying the real reason was that Mr Trimble had refused to nominate ministers to cross-Border institutions.