The Minister for Foreign Affairs is to meet the Progressive Unionist Party leader, Mr David Ervine, in the first week of January amid growing loyalist warnings that their ceasefires are under pressure.
Mr Andrews arranged the meeting yesterday after Mr Ervine called for such talks and accused the Government of showing neither integrity or honour in its dealing with his party. Mr Ervine is angry that his party was not told that nine IRA prisoners were to be released from jail in the Republic last week despite meeting Government representatives the day before the releases.
Mr Andrews suggested that concerns and fears were heightened at this time because "we are on the threshold of an historic settlement on our island".
Responding to loyalist concerns that more republican than loyalist prisoners are being released, Mr Andrews said yesterday the Government had always advocated "an active, enlightened and fully impartial attitude" to the prisoners' issue by both governments.
"I have personally urged the British authorities to take as generous an approach as possible to loyalist as well as republican prisoners and appreciation has been expressed privately to me on a number of occasions for this active concern."
He said he hoped to discuss all aspects of the talks with Mr Ervine. In an apparent reference to Mr Ervine's recent statements that the two governments were taking important decisions at private meetings, he said the governments clearly had a central role in trying to put a new dynamic into the talks process.
"We are on the threshold of an historic settlement on our island. Inevitably, but understandably, this can serve in the intervening period to heighten the concerns and fears of participants. But the challenge to us all is to find a fair and honourable compromise between the aspirations and allegiances of the two traditions and to do so within a reasonable timeframe.
"That is why the energy, resources, creativity and goodwill of all sides must be concentrated within the talks when they resume on January 12th."