Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams met British Prime Minister Tony Blair in London today for the first time since the St Andrew's Agreement was proposed by the two governments last week.
The meeting comes ahead of Mr Adams' scheduled talks with DUP leader Rev Ian Paisley at Stormont tomorrow during which the two parties are expected to begin charting a shared future for Northern Ireland.
Speaking after the meeting with Mr Blair, Mr Adams said there were a few remaining issues to be ironed out, including the details of a financial package offered by the two governments to support a power-sharing government. He called on both governments to pledge £1 billion (€1.48 billion) to the Northern Ireland Executive.
Sinn Féin and the DUP must say by November 10th whether they accept the proposals containing in the agreement brokered at last week's talks in Scotland.
If they do so, they will set in train a series of choreographed moves including the election of the Rev Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness as Stormont's First and Deputy First Ministers on November 24th.
Sinn Féin will be expected to initiate moves towards securing support within the party for the Police Service of Northern Ireland.
If the DUP is satisfied with Sinn Féin's support of the rule of law and policing, the plan will ultimately lead to power sharing by March 26th.
It has yet to be decided whether or not the St Andrews Agreement will be put to the electorate of both the Republic and the North. Alternatively, new Assembly elections may be held before March 25th.
Northern Ireland Secretary of State Peter Hain today described the deal struck last week as historic.
Speaking in the House of Commons, he said the potential now existed for a permanent political settlement in Northern Ireland. "That we were able to defy the sceptics and cynics and secure the St Andrews Agreement opens the way to a new dawn for democracy in Northern Ireland," he said.
"(It opens the way to) A new democracy based for the very first time in Northern Ireland's tangled history on the twin foundations of the rule of law and power sharing. "Without question, it may come to be seen as a pivotal moment in Irish history."
Mr Hain attempted to spell out for MPs what the agreement on all parties supporting policing meant.
"It means fully endorsing the Police Service of Northern Ireland," the minister said. "It means actively encouraging everyone in the community to co-operate fully with the PSNI in tackling crime in all areas. It means playing a full and active role in all the policing and justice institutions including the Policing Board."
Policing, he said, had been transformed with Catholics making up a fifth of the PSNI force and local consent to the police in places like south Armagh.