Blair: NI parties must agree deal

PMs hosted all-party round table session on Monday

Intensive talks between the British and Irish goverments and Northern Ireland's main pro-Agreement parties are continuing in Staffordshire.

Earlier on Monday, Prime Minister Tony Blair and Taoiseach Bertie Ahern chaired a two-hour round-table meeting involving all of the pro-Agreement parties.

It marked the start of two days of discussions aimed at breaking the impasse in the Northern Ireland political process.

However, it is understood that the current talks are taking the form of bilateral meetings.

The two prime ministers hope the talks in Weston House will find a way for the power-sharing institutions to function following David Trimble's resignation as the province's first minister on 1 July.

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The Ulster Unionist Party, SDLP and Sinn Fein are involved in Monday night's talks.

The smaller pro-Agreement parties - the Alliance Party, Progressive Unionist Party, Ulster Democratic Party and Women's Coalition - left Staffordshire on Monday evening.

David Ervine PUP: Unhappy at smaller parties' exclusion

It is understood they will not be invited back until there is the prospect of a deal between the main pro-Agreement parties.

They are discussing the issues blocking the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement - paramilitary arms decommissioning, policing and demilitarisation.

David Ervine of the PUP, which is linked to the loyalist paramilitary UVF, was not happy at being excluded from the talks.

He said his party would have to consider whether to stage involved with this stage of the political process.

Another party to the talks told the BBC that Monday afternoon's round-table session "was a bit of a non-event" and more a "PR exercise to bring all parties together to create a feel-good factor" rather than the start proper of the intensive talks.

Blair and Ahern 'optimistic'

Speaking before Monday's round-table talks, Mr Blair and Mr Ahern said they were optimistic progress could be made.

If we work together and everybody puts in the sincere efforts they did three and a half years ago when we negotiated the Agreement, I believe there can be a successful conclusion on it

Tony Blair

Mr Ahern said he believed there "could be a successful conclusion".

He added: "This is the week where we can try to finish the outstanding issues.

"Over these next few days, if we work together and everybody puts in the sincere efforts they did three and a half years ago when we negotiated the Agreement, I believe there can be a successful conclusion on it.

Mr Blair said: "We will be conducting intensive negotiations with all the main parties in Northern Ireland to try and ensure that we push the process forward yet again.

"We have just been reviewing the progress there has been under the Good Friday Agreement and it is remarkable how much has been agreed and how much is functioning.

The process has become lost and it has to be put back on the right road

Gerry Adams

"The main constitutional issues have been settled, an executive, there is an assembly, north-south bodies that certainly can and should function well, and real progress towards equality and fair treatment for everyone."

He said there was a deep sense of obligation "to crack the remaining issues".

Security remains tight at the talks venue. The police have sealed off Weston Park House in Staffordshire and its surrounds, with the media being kept outside the five mile long perimeter wall.

'Process in difficulties'

Arriving at the talks, Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams said the peace process was in "considerable difficulties".

He added: "Sinn Fein welcomes these discussions and the opportunity that they give for both ourselves and the other parties and the two governments to straighten things out," he said.

David Trimble's resignation has left the process in crisis

David Trimble was accompanied by Sir Reg Empey, Lagan Valley MP Jeffrey Donaldson, Lord Taylor and James Cooper at the talks.

He said: "There is no excuse for the republicans - they haven't even started (decommissioning), and other people have been working hard and made a considerable effort while they have done very little."

SDLP leader John Hume was accompanied by his deputy Seamus Mallon and colleagues Mark Durkan, Sean Farren, Brid Rodgers and Patricia Lewsley.

He said it was up to all the parties to implement the will of the people.