Former Senator George Mitchell got the review of the peace process under way in double-quick fashion last night, meeting Mr David Trimble within an hour of confirmation that he will act as the "facilitator" in the review process.
As London, Dublin and Washington struggle to regain momentum after last Thursday's "crash landing" at Stormont, Mr Mitchell flies to Belfast to begin discussions today with the other parties, and hear their views as to how the review should be structured and conducted.
Confirming Mr Mitchell's willingness to resume the talks hot-seat, albeit for a limited time, the British Prime Minister, Mr Blair, and the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, set a workmanlike tone after their Downing Street summit, promising that the review would be "tightly focused" and aimed at "a speedy conclusion."
The review of the implementation of the Belfast Agreement will be confined to the two issues which the parties failed to resolve last week: the creation of an inclusive executive, and the process for securing decommissioning of paramilitary weapons by May 2000.
Defining these as contained in the "three principles" accepted by the parties during the week-long negotiations at Stormont, Mr Blair said: "This will be its [the review's] only focus point. It is a limited focus, limited to determine how these agreed principles are carried forward."
"I think the parties weren't quite ready for it [formation of an executive] last week, but they are reflecting on it, they are reflecting on it positively, more positively than people think," Mr Blair said.
"I do think it's obvious from the aftermath that people want to do an agreement, that the people of Northern Ireland desperately want an agreement to happen."
Earlier yesterday, in a joint appearance with Mr Trimble after their one-hour meeting at the Irish Embassy, the Taoiseach again insisted that he was "firmly wedded" to the second of the three principles, namely, that decommissioning must be completed by May 2000 and in a manner to be determined by the International Commission.
Mr Trimble emerged from the meeting to find a £40 parking ticket on his BMW car. Asked whether he would pay the fine, he joked: "I don't have diplomatic status".
After the Downing Street meeting, Mr Ahern said that despite the failure to reach agreement last week the process had been advanced: "All the time I think fundamental progress has been achieved and we have set down principles. I think that all that has happened has been useful even if we haven't reached a conclusion."
Mr Trimble confirmed publicly yesterday that he will not be resigning as First Minister designate. "However hot it might get from time to time in the kitchen, I don't intend to quit. I intend to see this through," he said.
He had no difficulty with the former senator's return to the scene but believed the parties ultimately had to resolve these issues themselves.
Party sources last night denied reports of an imminent meeting between Mr Trimble and the Sinn Fein president, Mr Gerry Adams, although it is understood the UUP has asked Sinn Fein to open bilateral party talks ahead of the August break.
Mr Mitchell spent more than four years involved in the Northern Ireland peace process. In his book, Making Peace, he described his time there as "the most difficult task I have ever undertaken".