There was talk of "real progress" at Stormont last night as the Taoiseach and the British Prime Minister prepared to embark on what may be the final drive to break the political deadlock over decommissioning and the formation of an executive.
Sinn Fein, as well as spokesmen for Mr Blair and Mr Ahern, spoke of movement in the talks at Castle Buildings, Stormont, last night, although the Ulster Unionist Party was much more guarded in its analysis of developments.
Earlier, Mr Blair portrayed the talks as Northern Ireland's "moment of truth. People will neither understand nor forgive if we don't make this thing work," he said.
General John de Chastelain, at the request of Mr Blair and Mr Ahern, delayed publication of his report on the prospects of the IRA and loyalist paramilitaries decommissioning their weapons. The report, due out yesterday, is expected to be presented today.
The British and Irish Governments' spokesmen said the postponement of the general's document reflected the fact that progress was being made. Delay of its publication indicated that additional movement on the arms issue could be achieved today, they suggested.
The report, though was still crucial to a deal being struck, said Mr Ahern's spokesman. "When the report comes it should be the foundation stone on which agreement will be built," he added.
"It was a very good day in terms of the commitment of all the parties," said the spokesman. "All the parties gave a clear indication that they want to get done what needs to get done," said Mr Blair's spokesman.
The UUP was not talking up chances of a deal being done today, however. Mr John Taylor, UUP deputy leader, said the prospects of an agreement were only two per cent.
And there was little detail of how the gap between Sinn Fein and the UUP over IRA disarmament and the creation of an executive might be bridged. Sinn Fein is still refusing to say whether it can or will give a commitment that the IRA will disarm by May 2000, the date set in the Belfast Agreement.
The UUP did not give any clear indication that it would accept Sinn Fein into an executive on the basis of such a commitment, and without some actual prior decommissioning, although Mr David Trimble hinted that some form of republican pledge to decommission might be acceptable to him.
It was viewed as significant that for the first time Sinn Fein and the UUP, with Mr Ahern and Mr Blair and the SDLP leader, Mr John Hume, joined a five-sided plenary session yesterday evening.
Mr Trimble played down any suggestions of an imminent breakthrough. "I do have to say that little actual progress has been made," he said.
But slightly more positively he added, "we heard encouraging noises from the governments that they believe that Sinn Fein and the IRA are moving to a position where they could give the clear and unequivocal commitments that we have asked of them. But we have not yet heard it from them".
The Sinn Fein president, Mr Gerry Adams, after leading his negotiating team in 75-minutes of talks with Mr Blair and Mr Ahern earlier yesterday said "some progress" was being made.
