Gary McMichael talks to BBC Radio 4's World at One programme

The Ulster Democratic Party, which speaks for the UDA and UFF paramilitaries, met with head of the international decommissioning body General John de Chastelain to discuss the handover of weapons.

Arrangements for weapons handover

Both sides described the hour-long talks as "constructive" and said another would be held in the near future.

UDP leader Gary McMichael said: "The ball is in the IRA's court. Any speculation about loyalist disarmament while the IRA remains armed is very much wishful thinking.

"This is all part of the ongoing process. We have always taken a responsible attitude on this issue but people should not expect loyalists to decommission while the IRA remain fully armed and have not even declared the end of the conflict.

"We would like the IRA to declare the war is over. If they did then it would clear the way for progress."

Two-year deadline for decommissioning

It has emerged that paramilitaries who hand over their arms and explosives are to be given immunity from prosecution.

David Adams of the UDP said any ideas or proposals put forward during the meeting would be relayed back to paramilitary leaders.

"Whether or not people begin to decommission is up to themselves," he said.

The Good Friday agreement set a two-year deadline for decommissioning weapons and explosives.

Billy Hutchinson: "We must change attitudes"

The UVF has nominated Billy Hutchinson, a convicted paramilitary and a leading member of the loyalist Progressive Unionist Party, to be its middle man.

Mr Hutchinson said political conditions must be created to ensure that splinter terror groups on both sides who refuse to hand in weapons do not use them.

Billy Hutchinson of the PUP: "We need new conditions"

"The attitude we need to change is that people will not want to pull a trigger or plant a bomb because they don't believe that they need to influence the political situation in Northern Ireland," he told the BBC.

"We will continue to work at that and government legislation will be part of creating the overall conditions for people to hand in their weapons."

But Sinn Fein Councillor Francie Molloy, who was his party representative on the decommissioning discussions, said it was unlikely the IRA would hand over any guns or explosives.

Sean O'Callaghan, author and former member of IRA

"The IRA haven't been defeated and unless you have the defeat of one organisation over the other or one government over another then you don't have a surrender of weapons," he said.

Ulster Unionist MP Jeffrey Donaldson said any progress in talks must be linked to arms handover.

"The issue of decommissioning is a benchmark against which we can judge progress of the terrorist organisations towards a complete end of violence," he said.