The IRA has issued a statement in which it says the deadlock over weapons can be resolved - but not on British or unionist terms.

The issue is threatening to bring down Northern Ireland's fledgling power-sharing government, unless there is movement by Friday of next week.

But a representative of the main republican paramilitary group reiterated on Saturday that the Northern Ireland peace process is under no threat from the organisation, and that its guns "are silent".

The statement was issued shortly before Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams and the Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble met at Stormont in an effort to save the faltering peace process.

Following the meeting, Mr Trimble said the IRA statement was disappointing, and contained "nothing new".

"There's no new proposal contained in it and I think that's most unfortunate," he said.

The First Minister said there was an exchange of views with the Sinn Fein leader, but was not prepared to give any further details.

After he emerged from the meeting, Mr Adams said the two leaders had agreed to meet again.

He said the IRA statement underlined the difficulties created for republicans by the Northern Ireland secretary in Westminster on Thursday.

"I warned some short time ago of the problems that Peter Mandelson's position was making for those of us who are trying to sort this out," he said.

He called on the Secretary of State to be more positive, and repeated his assertion that there had been no default by republicans.

In its statement, the IRA says the arms issue "will not be advanced by British legislative threats".

"The crisis can be averted and the issue of arms can be resolved," it says.

"This will not be on unionist or British terms."

In a clear reference to the statement by NI Secretary Peter Mandelson on Thursday, the IRA denied it had "broken any commitments, or betrayed anyone".

However, BBC Northern Ireland's chief security correspondent, Brian Rowan, says the statement contains nothing to suggest that the IRA is prepared to deliver actual decommissioning within the next week.

A spokesman for the Irish government welcomed the IRA statement, saying it was "positive".

"Clearly more work needs to be done," he said.

The IRA's statement that decommissioning was an essential part of the peace process was welcomed by the leader of the nationalist Social Democratic and Labour party, John Hume.

"I hope therefore that they will continue to work closely, as they are suggesting, with the International Commission in order to resolve the decommissioning issue," he said.

Earlier, the Deputy First Minister Seamus Mallon called on Ulster Unionists to stop issuing deadlines if they want the IRA to disarm.

'Time to stop waffling'

Speaking on BBC Radio Ulster's Inside Politics programme, the SDLP deputy leader issued a warning against "arbitrary deadlines" in advance of next Saturday's Ulster Unionist Council meeting, saying it was not a realistic way of achieving disarmament.

Mr Mallon also said republicans would have to stop "waffling" about decommissioning as both politicians and the wider community expected it to happen.

"It was self evident that the IRA was not going to decommission on a date set down by unionism," he said. "Unionists are going to have accept my analysis and move on from that."

Mr Mallon's latest comments come in the midst of intense efforts to ensure the eight-week-old Northern Ireland assembly and its executive are not suspended by Secretary of State Peter Mandelson.

Mr Mandelson has said if there are no assurances that decommissioning will happen, he will put the Northern Ireland government on hold on 11 February.

Behind-the-scenes talks are expected to continue throughout the weekend.

But former Prime Minister John Major said he thought it was "extremely unlikely" any IRA weapons would be decommissioned in the next few days.

He said the IRA's leadership should be asked whether it intended to disarm at all.

Mr Major, who helped set up the groundwork for the peace process while in power, said even if decommissioning did not come, the government should "pocket" the gains made in the last 18 months.

The day scheduled for suspension of the Assembly is also the day before an Ulster Unionist ruling council meeting takes place to review progress.

General John de Chastelain's report to the two governments on decommissioning has yet to be published.

If progress on the issue is made, a second report could be published next week.