The importance of a clear and unambiguous statement from the IRA about its future and the decommissioning of its weapons formed the centrepiece of political discussions in London yesterday.
The Taoiseach, the British prime minister, and the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, the Rev Ian Paisley, are now united in the view that there can be no political progress in Northern Ireland while the IRA remains an armed force and engages in paramilitary and criminal activities.
This approach, which is supported by the United States administration, has placed enormous pressure on republicans.
But concern that the IRA may again attempt to fudge "hard decisions" and offer a form of words that would facilitate its paramilitary control of nationalist areas prompted the Taoiseach to emphasise that the content, rather than the timing, of the statement was the important thing.
Mr Ahern indicated he was prepared to wait until the autumn for an IRA commitment to end all criminal and paramilitary activity and complete the decommissioning process. As for the future of that organisation, he believed it could only continue as a commemorative body.
The recovery of the body of Gareth O'Connor from Newry Canal at the weekend is a salutary reminder of the past activities of the IRA. The father of two young children, he disappeared in May 2003.
And, as happened in the cases of the murder of Robert McCartney and the Northern Bank robbery, the IRA denied responsibility. There must be a definitive end to all such activities if the principles of power-sharing, equality and mutual respect contained in the Belfast Agreement are to be put into operation.
Yesterday's talks were largely exploratory, in advance of a British-Irish Inter-Governmental conference at the end of the month. But there have been some positive signs.
Dr Paisley was much less strident in his use of language. He no longer ruled out sharing power with Sinn Féin. Instead, the DUP leader spoke of a need to test the bona fides of the IRA in relation to any statement it issues concerning decommissioning. And he suggested it would take at least six months for that process to be completed.
In Belfast, the Sinn Féin leader called on the governments to move the political process forward. But Mr Adams must realise nothing will happen in advance of the IRA statement that he himself requested.
Pending that development, the governments and the political parties should work together to ensure that violence does not blight the marching season and that the two communities are prepared for the changes that must eventually come.
The lack of trust bedevilled Northern Ireland politics in the immediate past. It will not be easy to engender cross-community confidence. But a clear statement of intent from the IRA - and the transparent delivery of any undertakings - is now required before the political process can move forward.