On this momentous day, political talks open at Stormont with the objective of producing a three-stranded political settlement that will receive the support of majorities of the populations in the North and in the Republic in simultaneous referendums. It is a brave and ambitious undertaking that seeks to address the legacy of hatred, discrimination, murder and bitterness which has been thrust on Northern Ireland over the past 70 years and more.
There are no magic wands available to the sovereign governments in resolving the deep-seated differences which divide the two communities. But, after five years of patient and painstaking effort, they are now in a position to invite the political parties from both communities to address their differences in the absence of paramilitary violence and within the parameters laid down in the Joint Framework Document and the Downing Street Declaration.
Last Saturday, the executive of the Ulster Unionist Party met in Belfast and gave Mr David Trimble and his colleagues carte blanche to deal with the peace negotiations as they saw fit. It was a resounding vote of confidence following the party's role in defusing tensions across Northern Ireland during the marching season. And Mr Trimble has indicated that he will not "walk away" from the talks process, or leave the Union undefended. The elected representatives of his party will meet this morning to decide the precise nature of their involvement in the multi-party talks. They are also due to consult with the two loyalist parties in that regard.
The situation has been complicated by last week's IRA statements that it had difficulties with the Mitchell Principles, that it would not decommission any weapons in advance of a political settlement and that it rejected the two governments' interpretation of "consent". The first business on today's agenda will involve the questioning of Mr Gerry Adams by Senator George Mitchell on where Sinn Fein stands in relation to the IRA statement. Does it speak on behalf of a united republican movement at the talks, or does it merely reflect a subservient section of that organisation? There has been much speculation about a limited involvement by the Ulster Unionists in the talks process because of Sinn Fein's involvement. Some kind of "proximity talks" mechanism has been mentioned. To go down that road would be a blunder in terms of international perception. Full-blooded participation by the Ulster Unionist and loyalist parties in the talks process would provide the greatest benefit to the people of Northern Ireland, to the democratic process and to the prospects of a historic agreement. It would also shatter what appears to be the IRA's strategy of prompting unionists to defeat themselves by withdrawing from, or severely circumscribing, the talks process.
The talks that are due to open this morning at Stormont are of enormous importance. They provide a window of opportunity to recast history in the context of a new political disposition within the island of Ireland, an evolving United Kingdom and the European Union. On the basis of past experience, and given the inter-communal tensions involved, we should not expect too much, too quickly. The political parties are likely to spend at least a couple of days wrangling about procedures and democratic status before negotiations get properly under way. Even allowing for that, a start is being made in what may become a momentous political process.