Ulster Unionists today insisted "a permanent end to all forms of paramilitarism" was their bottom line in the new round of talks to restore devolution in Northern Ireland.
As US President George W Bush's Special Adviser on Northern Ireland, Mr Richard Haass continued meetings with the North's politicians, senior Ulster Unionist negotiator Sir Reg Empey called for a "full and unequivocal commitment to exclusively peaceful means" from republicans.
Sir Reg, who met Ambassador Haass last night in Belfast with party colleagues Michael McGimpsey, Jeffrey Donaldson and Lady Sylvia Herman, said the US official agreed that there had to be an end to the capabilities of republican and loyalist paramilitaries to wage war.
Commenting ahead of talks at Stormont tomorrow chaired by the Northern Ireland Secretary Mr Paul Murphy and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Brian Cowen, the former Ulster Unionist devolved minister said: "We used the meeting with Mr Haass as an opportunity to emphasise that the key issue for the Ulster Unionists is the need for a permanent end to all forms of paramilitarism.
"This means there should be no more intelligence gathering, importation of weapons, training exercises, recruitment of members and racketeering.
"There needs to be a full and unequivocal commitment to exclusively peaceful means as was enshrined in the Belfast Agreement. That is the bottom line."
PA