Sinn Fein's entry into the Stormont talks took place without histrionics and almost unnoticed as the party's delegation arrived at the same time the Secretary of State, Dr Mo Mowlam, was giving a brief press conference in another part of the Stormont estate.
After being turned away at the Stormont Buildings gates on three occasions over the past 13 months, four Sinn Fein members drove up to the talks venue and were immediately allowed entry. The Ulster
Unionist Party and Democratic Unionist Party stayed away and the entry of the republicans, previously the focus of so much controversy, simply became a matter of process.
The ex-IRA prisoner and Maze prison escaper, Mr Gerry Kelly, led the delegation which included councillors Mr Francie Molloy from
Tyrone, and Ms Annie Armstrong from Belfast, and the party's negotiations secretary Ms Siobhan O'Hanlon.
A short while later the Derry ard comhairle member, Mr Mitchel
McLaughlin, arrived on his own and again entered unobtrusively.
Inside, the Sinn Fein members were issued with identity passes by
RUC Special Branch officers.
The party then took up residence in offices on the first floor of the office complex, near the Irish Government and SDLP office suites.
The day's agenda, which was to have included a plenary debate on unionist amendments to the decommissioning conditions, was adjourned as none of the unionist parties was present.
Sinn Fein settled into its offices and having found its bearings in the talks, stayed for only four hours before leaving. The party's delegates met the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Burke, informally during the morning.
Later in the afternoon, the loyalist party representatives said they had no contact with the Sinn Fein delegation.
Mr Gary McMichael, leader of the Ulster Democratic Party, said he
"may have passed some people" in one of the corridors but he did not know for sure if they were part of the Sinn Fein delegation, and they did not speak.
Shortly after the Sinn Fein delegation's arrival, the UK Unionist party leader, Mr Robert McCartney, walked out of the buildings saying he found the two governments' proposals "totally unacceptable as a means of addressing the issue of decommissioning."
As the focus of attention on political developments had shifted to
Downing Street, there was little for the parties at Stormont to do but to mark time, waiting to see the outcome of the Blair-Trimble talks in London. The prospects for the Stormont talks moving to a vote on the governments' decommissioning proposals, and the unionist amendments to them, on Wednesday remained uncertain last night.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, who was accompanied by the
Minister for Justice, Mr O'Donoghue, and Minister of State, Ms Liz
O'Donnell, responded to reporters' questions saying only that he hoped for a "positive resolution" of the talks.
"We see some light at the end of the tunnel," he said when asked about the Ulster Unionist position of voting against the governmental decommissioning proposals unless the vote is adjourned.
The SDLP leader, Mr John Hume, leaving the talks with his party's team, said that after 13 months and while now "meeting in a totally peaceful situation" there was no reason why progress should not be made in the talks. He said everyone knew the consequences and symptoms of disagreement. "All our people want us to reach agreement."
His sentiments were closely echoed by the UDP's Mr McMichael. To his party, he said, it was "imperative that the timetable is adhered to".
Mr David Ervine, leader of the Progressive Unionist Party, emerged to say he had listened to Mr Trimble's press conference televised from London. "Having listened to David Trimble, I still feel there is an element of positivity abroad."