In Belfast to meet the North's pro-agreement party leaders, former Senator George Mitchell yesterday said that he did not view the current impasse on arms decommissioning, or the delay in setting up the shadow executive and North-South bodies, as a crisis.
"No one should be surprised that there are difficulties. Realism demands that you take it one step at a time," said the former chairman of the talks.
Mr Mitchell said he had turned down an offer by the British and Irish governments, made during the final weeks of negotiations, to become chairman of a commission which would oversee the implementation of the Belfast Agreement.
"I was not able to accept and will not be able to serve as chairman of any such commission," he added.
Mr Mitchell met the First Minister, Mr David Trimble, and later Deputy First Minister, Mr Seamus Mallon, at Parliament Buildings.
Earlier the former senator met the SDLP leader, Mr John Hume, and the president of Sinn Fein, Mr Gerry Adams. He also met the leader of the Progressive Unionist Party, Mr David Ervine.
Mr Mitchell insisted his visit was "just to see old friends" and said it was merely "a coincidence of timing" that he was in Belfast at the same time as former Finnish premier Mr Harri Holkeri, also a former talks co-chairman.
The senator said the political leaders did not need him "preaching from the sidelines". However he said he intended to report back to the White House with his "impressions" of the visit.
Mr Trimble, said Senator Mitchell was always a "welcome visitor". The leader of the Ulster Unionist Party said it would be "very nice" if agreement was reached on North-South bodies and the setting up of government departments by the end of the week.
"Well, I had actually hoped last week that we would have agreement by the end of last week," he said.
"Nobody should get into the situation of trying to manufacture a crisis or to generate a sense in the community that things are breaking down. This is not the case."
Mr Mallon said the visit from Senator Mitchell had helped "psychologically and politically" but he stressed he did not want Northern politicians to be "bailed out at every turn" by the governments.
He said he would do everything in his power to ensure agreement was reached on the setting- up of implementation bodies and the shadow executive by the end of the week.
The SDLP leader, Mr John Hume, said the senator "was not playing any role in current matters under discussion" and that it was "totally natural" for Mr Mitchell to wish to maintain an interest in the process.
ein, Mr Adams stated that Mr Mitchell had a "influential role to play". He said in his meeting with the senator he had raised the possibility of Mr Mitchell becoming an independent chairman involved in reviewing the agreement with the British and Irish governments.
The agreement allows for a review after six months. However, Mr Adams admitted he was "not sure" if the senator would be able to become involved.
The leader of the PUP, Mr Ervine, told Mr Mitchell the process was "doomed" and could collapse in two months if it did not overcome the hurdle of the setting-up of an executive and arms decommissioning.
Mr Trimble and Mr Mallon held over three hours of talks yesterday which resume again today, to "work out the detail" on the number of North-South implementation bodies and the areas that they will cover.
Mr Trimble described the talks as "constructive".
"There are a number of areas where we have potential for agreement and there are a number of areas where discussions are ongoing." He said that they were important negotiations that had to be taken "slowly and carefully".
A spokesman for Mr Mallon said it had been a very intensive day's work. "Every effort is being made to deal with the matters under discussion and it all represents a very serious attempt to work through the issues".
Reinterpreting the D-word in quest to break arms deadlock: page 26