Unionism must embrace the opportunity created by the IRA's announcement of an end to armed struggle by engaging, Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams said today.
"Whatever about the past and whatever difficulties we all have with each other; and whatever different analysis we have about either the past or the future; let's talk, let's engage," Mr Adams said.
Flanked by a large delegation of Sinn Fein representatives elected on both side of the border, Mr Adams told reporters after reading from a prepared speech that today's development should not be "wasted".
The onus was on the Irish and British governments to address the outstanding issues for nationalists in the Belfast Agreement, he said.
Nationalists wanted the "transfer of powers on policing and justice from the British government into a local administration ... it includes dealing with issue of plastic bullets, it includes tackling the issue of who runs the 'securocrats' and the spooks and the spies and the agents and putting an end to that sort of political policing", Mr Adams said.
The British government in December gave an undertaking to address such issues and now is the time for them to do it, the West Belfast MP said.
He called for the DUP to have "the courage of their convictions" in representing what they call "new, confident unionism". "Well let's see it," he said and urged DUP leader Ian Paisley to "absorb" today's events.
He said the governments must create the circumstances for talks to resume but warned his party would not tolerate pre-conditions attached to the full implementation of the Belfast Agreement.
"If Ian Paisley does not engage, then the rest of us cannot sit waiting an hanging about until the DUP comes to terms with needs for equality on this island. Because the days of second class citizenship are over".