The new Northern Secretary, Mr Peter Mandelson, will make his first official visit to Dublin this morning to meet the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Andrews, and the Minister of State, Ms Liz O'Donnell. In what Government sources said last night was "a crucial week for the review process", Mr Mandel son will pay a courtesy call on the Taoiseach at Government Buildings before attending talks at Iveagh House.
Government sources believe Senator George Mitchell will end his attempts to break the deadlock over arms decommissioning and the formation of a power-sharing executive unless there is some sign of progress by the end of this week. "There are indications that both unionists and nationalists are engaged and looking for solutions," the sources said last night. "That is positive, yet nobody, including ourselves, is willing to say they are optimistic."
The Northern Ireland Office has played down comments made at a fringe Labour conference meeting five years ago by Mr Mandelson that he was in favour of a united Ireland.
Unionists have expressed annoyance at the remarks. However, a NIO spokesman said Mr Mandelson had stressed the primacy of the consent principle.