The Northern Secretary, Mr Paul Murphy, will hold talks today with the Sinn Féin president, Mr Gerry Adams, amid concern about the future of the peace process.
"We intend to meet with the other pro-agreement parties," Mr Adams said. "We will seek a meeting with the DUP as well. I have been in touch with the Irish Government. As far as we are concerned, the agreement has to go ahead."
He said the Irish and British governments must now implement the outstanding elements of the Joint Declaration, including changes to policing, justice, equality, human rights, demilitarisation and on-the-runs. Unionism "cannot have any veto over issues which are clearly in the remit of the Irish and British governments".
He said the DUP had to realise that most people in the North wanted a peaceful life. "I just have great confidence in people. I believe that beyond the bombastic arrogance of some of the DUP rhetoric and the bigotry of some of its leading people, the rest of the electorate wants this to work."
To the DUP leader, the Rev Ian Paisley, Mr Adams said: "I am not a Christian clergyman. I am not the leader of a church, but I don't know anything within the Christian philosophy that is not about dialogue, conversations and dealing with sinners."
Mr Adams also said there were two aspects to the DUP's posturing. "There is the one in front of the media and then there is one in the committee rooms, of councils or indeed of the old Assembly itself, where most of them behaved in a courteous way."
