Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Mr Seamus Mallon is to cut short his involvement in a Stormont Executive visit to Europe because of the peace process, it was confirmed tonight.
The SDLP deputy leader, who arrived in Paris to join First Minister Mr David Trimble on the four-day tour of France and Germany to promote investment, said he needed to return to Northern Ireland to keep a close watch on political developments.
Mr Mallon had been planning a series of engagements in Paris, Dusseldorf and Berlin with the First Minister Mr David Trimble and Enterprise Minister, Sir Reg Empey.
However, he will leave after he completes the Paris leg which also includes a meeting with French President Jacques Chirac.
As yet, it is understood there are no plans for Mr Trimble to return to Northern Ireland.
Mr Mallon will be replaced in Germany by his party colleague, the Minister for Higher and Further Education, Training and Employment, Mr Sean Farren.
The Newry and Armagh MP said shortly after his arrival in Paris he was cutting short his involvement because of the intense negotiations to secure the future of the Belfast Agreement.
With the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, due to meet his UK counterpart Mr Blair in London tomorrow to assess those efforts, Mr Mallon said: "I have been speaking to people involved in the negotiations.
"As you know, I have a particular role in them and I want to make sure that I will be present if further discussions take place. Certainly, I need to be there."
However, he downplayed speculation of an imminent deal resolving the issues of IRA decommissioning, British demilitarisation and policing.
"Some progress is being made but I think it would be wrong to say that all the gaps have been bridged. They haven't.
"Certainly, from our point of view we are working on those and have to keep working on them."
PA