Ulster Unionist leader Mr David Trimble is to meet British Prime Minister Tony Blair in Downing Street tomorrow, as talks tonight intensified to try to break the deadlock threatening in the peace process.
Mr Trimble is cutting short plans to travel to Dusseldorf as part of the Northern Ireland Executive's European investment tour to meet the Mr Blair in Downing Street.
He is returning home tomorrow.
However, a spokesman for the First Minister was insisting the meeting should not be interpreted as a sign that a deal on IRA decommissioning, policing reform and demilitarisation is imminent.
The spokesman also insisted he was intending to rejoin the investment tour on its last leg in Berlin.
"He has been asked by the Prime Minister to meet him for an update on the contacts between the government and the SDLP and Sinn Fein," the source said.
"The meeting will enable him to see what progress is being made and the First Minister very much hopes progress is being made. But it really is a stocktaking exercise. There is no sense that a deal is imminent."
Mr Trimble's decision follows hard on Stormont Deputy First Minister Seamus Mallon's decision to withdraw tomorrow from the tour of France and Germany.
And it comes as Taoiseach Bertie Ahern met Mr Blair in Downing Street tonight.
PA