The Belfast Agreement can be implemented in its entirety, according to the former peace talks chairman, Mr George Mitchell, who has spent the last two days in Belfast holding separate talks with all the political parties on the way forward.
The former US senator would not comment directly on the IRA statement published yesterday in An Phoblacht. However, he insisted that "violence or the threat of violence will not solve the problems of Northern Ireland".
"I have met with all the parties. Those who supported the Good Friday agreement re stated their support, those who opposed it restated their opposition. I hope that all will play a constructive role in the review process, and that the review will lead to full and timely implementation."
Mr Mitchell, who will act as a facilitator once the review recommences on September 6th, said he had not yet decided on the structure and format of the review, but would take on board the views expressed by the parties.
The review would take as a starting point the three principles agreed by the pro-agreement parties on June 25th. He summarised these as an inclusive executive exercising full powers; decommissioning of all paramilitary arms by May 2000; and disarmament to be carried out in a manner determined by Gen John de Chastelain's decommissioning body.
While no deadline has been set for completion of the review, Mr Mitchell said he did not intend it to be an open-ended process that would continue indefinitely.
He stressed that it was important the parties were not involved in any separate or overlapping negotiations once the process was under way.
Mr Mitchell admitted he had not wished to return to Northern Ireland after spending more than four years there in the run-up to the agreement, but said he could not turn down the opportunity to try and help find a solution to the current impasse.
"I make no bones about the fact that I would have preferred not to come back. I am not surprised, but I am disappointed," he added.
But Mr Mitchell said it would have been naive not to have expected difficulties in the implementation of the agreement. Even if these obstacles were resolved, they would not be the last problems on the road to durable and sustainable peace.
Meanwhile, the SDLP yesterday reaffirmed its determination to work constructively with Mr Mitchell and other pro-agreement parties to arrive at a successful outcome to the review process.
Following a meeting of its Assembly group and executive officers, it was announced that a delegation led by Mr John Hume would meet the Government in Dublin this afternoon to review recent events. The party also fully backed the decision of its deputy leader, Mr Seamus Mallon, to resign as Deputy First Minister.
The deputy leader of the Alliance party, Mr Seamus Close, yesterday demanded that Mr Trimble's salary as First Minister be frozen. "Given that David Trimble and the Ulster Unionists by their actions last week have ensured that power will not be devolved to the Assembly for at least another two months, the public's questioning of salaries being paid is valid," he said.