The British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair is to hold talks tomorrow with the leaders of all the main political parties in Northern Ireland in a bid to break the peace process deadlock.
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Mr Tony Blair
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Mr Blair will meet Mr John Hume,Mr David Trimble and Mr Gerry Adams at No. 10, a Downing Street spokesman said.
The move follows the cancellation of tomorrow's scheduled meeting of the British-Irish Council in Dublin.
Mr Blair's spokesman said tonight: "This is following on from the Prime Minister's discussions in Northern Ireland last week."
Earlier today, Mr Blair's official spokesman said he expected a further "intensification" of talks in the light of the postponed council.
"A lot of the politicians and a lot of the officials who would be expected to attend that (Council) are involved in continuing discussions arising from last week's visit in relation to some of the outstanding difficulties," the spokesman said.
Both Dublin and London confirmed the Taoiseach and Mr Blair had spoken by telephone today and agreed to postpone the expected Council meeting until February 5th.
Hopes of a breakthrough rose last week when officials from the White House team of outgoing President Bill Clinton arrived in London and travelled to Belfast, headed by one of Mr Clinton's security advisers, Mr Jim Steinberg.
But although Mr Blair travelled to Belfast instead of taking part in a vote to ban fox hunting in the Commons, no breakthrough was achieved.
The Sinn Féin president, Mr Gerry Adams confirmed he would meet Mr Blair at Downing Street tomorrow along with Mr Martin McGuinness.
Mr Adams said: "Sinn Féin has been involved in intense discussions with the British Government.
"Those have concentrated around issues at the heart of the current crisis - policing, demilitarisation and primacy of the political institutions.
"Sinn Féin will be listening very carefully to what Mr Blair tells us tomorrow and wishes to know what progress, if any, has been made in addressing the concerns we have."