Dr Reid to enter NI talks on Monday

On Monday morning new Northern Secretary Dr John Reid will launch himself into intensive talks with the Northern political parties aimed at charting a route through the political logjam.

There was only a brief amount of time to find a solution, warned Deputy First Minister Mr Seamus Mallon and First Minister Mr David Trimble after they held an hour-long "familiarisation" meeting with Dr Reid at Castle Buildings, Stormont, yesterday.

Mr Trimble and Mr Mallon are due to spend Tuesday to Friday in France and Germany on an investment drive. But, conscious of the imminent but unspecified deadline for a breakthrough, Mr Trimble suggested their trade mission may be curtailed.

Dr Reid is expected to return to Scotland briefly over the weekend but will spend most of the time in Northern Ireland at his new home at Hillsborough Castle, reading himself into the challenges ahead.

Senior politicians such as Mr Gerry Adams, Mr John Hume, Mr Trimble and Mr Mallon, as well as the DUP leader, the Rev Ian Paisley, are scheduled to hold meetings with Dr Reid at Castle Buildings on Monday.

British and Irish officials will remain in contact over the weekend to lay the ground for substantive negotiations from Monday onwards on the interlocking issues of policing, demilitarisation and putting paramilitary arms beyond use.

Mr Trimble and Mr Mallon indicated that the shock appointment of Dr Reid should not affect the continuity of the talks.

Progress was possible but it must be made before "the shadow of the general election" fell over the negotiations, said Mr Trimble. "There is now a window of opportunity in terms of making progress, bearing in mind that it would not take all that much more progress to finally bed down this agreement and these institutions, because there is only a little left to be done."

This prompted some minor disagreement from the Deputy First Minister. "There is quite a substantial amount of work to be done. Maybe little in terms of volume, but very substantial in terms of substance," said Mr Mallon.

Meanwhile, anti-agreement Ulster Unionist MPs Mr Jeffrey Donaldson, Mr William Ross and the Rev Martin Smyth met the RUC chief constable, Sir Ronnie Flanagan, yesterday to warn against precipitate moves on demilitarisation. Mr Ross said the MPs were providing an "alternative voice to the leadership".