Ulster Unionist Party leader Mr David Trimble and Sinn Féin president Mr Gerry Adams are to continue their discussions on reviving the Northern Ireland peace process, it emerged today.
Mr Adams confirmed in West Belfast that the two leaders had agreed to hold their fourth meeting since Northern Ireland pro-Agreement parties and the two governments launched a new bid to bring back the Assembly and power-sharing executive.
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Mr Gerry Adams, to meet UUP leader Mr David Trimble for a fourth time.
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While he would not confirm the date of their next meeting, the West Belfast MP, who held talks with Mr Trimble yesterday, said: "We have agreed to meet again.
"It's part of the network of discussions which are going on. I happen to think that it is a very, very important part of it and in many ways, arguably, the most important part of it.
"They are necessary discussions at this time and we continue with them until we hopefully come to some conclusions.
"It's work in progress."
Devolution has been suspended in Northern Ireland since last October when allegations of IRA spying threatened to destroy power-sharing.
Both governments and other parties are hoping that Sinn Féin and the IRA will address their concerns about paramilitary activity by republicans.
They want a statement from the IRA which will prove that they are on a course of abandoning all forms of paramilitarism.
Mr Adams, however, today stressed that there were issues about the implementation of the Belfast Agreement which also had to be addressed if a formula for reviving the Assembly and power-sharing government were to be concocted.
PA