The British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, admitted yesterday it was "difficult" to be over-optimistic about the peace process but he believed the talks would eventually be successful.
As the British government faced sustained criticism over the Christmas release of 160 loyalist and republican prisoners in Northern Ireland, Mr Blair appeared up-beat about the prospects for peace during an interview on Sky News.
"It is difficult to be over-optimistic about it but I believe it should happen and can happen. If you are going back seven months, I don't think people would have expected a ceasefire," Mr Blair said.
Sean Cronin adds from Washington: In an interview in the current issue of Newsweek magazine, Mr Blair was asked about what initiatives could be expected from him on the North. "What I am trying to do is develop a process and a framework that is as inclusive as possible."
Of his recent meeting with the Sinn Fein president, Mr Gerry Adams, at Downing Street, he said: "Of course it's difficult talking to Sinn Fein and it will have distressed many people to see them coming into Downing Street. But I think it is so important that we offer them the real chance to take the path of peace and democracy and get this thing sorted out, and we're only going to get it sorted out if people are in a process where they're talking to each other rather than trying to kill each other."