The Governor of the Apprentice Boys, Mr Alistair Simpson, said yesterday he hoped an agreement between the Apprentice Boys and the Bogside Residents' Group for a protest-free day during tomorrow's Relief of Derry parade would inspire other communities in parades disputes in the North.
"I would like to think that the agreement will be a flagship for the rest of Northern Ireland to show that violence does not pay and sitting down and having constructive discussions helps everyone," he said.
He confirmed the Apprentice Boys had been "in the same room" as nationalist residents during negotiations.
"We have got to have a better understanding of each other. I think the Bogside residents have a better understanding of the Apprentice Boys and the Apprentice Boys, hopefully, have a better understanding of the Bogside Residents' Group," he told BBC Radio Ulster.
The prospect of a peaceful annual Apprentice Boys' parade in Derry tomorrow was further enhanced yesterday when the order in Belfast accepted the Parades Commission ruling rerouting members away from the nationalist Lower Ormeau Road.
The Apprentice Boys in Belfast said it wanted to engage in genuine dialogue with the nationalist Lower Ormeau Concerned Community, notwithstanding the refusal of the Parades Commission to allow the parade tomorrow.
Mr Tommy Cheevers, a spokesman for the Belfast Apprentice Boys, said the wording of the Parades Commission's ruling, held out hope the contentious issue of this annual feeder parade for tomorrow's main parade in Derry could be resolved.
A senior RUC officer in Derry, Supt Peter Sheridan, said yesterday the agreement would make policing the event a lot easier. However, he added that given the "reality of our divided community, it would be necessary to have a carefully graduated and proportional response to any unforeseen difficulties which might occur". The Derry parade is expected to attract more than 15,000 Apprentice Boys.