The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Andrews, has expressed his wish for "sanity to prevail" in the run-up to the marches in Northern Ireland next weekend and has called on the two communities at Drumcree to resolve the crisis with dialogue.
Mr Andrews made his appeal ahead of a dinner engagement with the Northern Secretary, Dr Mo Mowlam, at the Irish Embassy in London last night.
Acknowledging that "time is certainly not on our side", Mr Andrews said the Government was "optimistic" that a peaceful resolution could be achieved at Drumcree.
He said his meeting with Dr Mowlam, which was arranged some weeks ago, was to discuss the future of Northern Ireland, the North-South Council, the British-Irish Council and the whole question of the implementation of the Belfast Agreement.
Mr Andrews said the Government would remain available to promote a local accommodation of the crisis at Drumcree.
Arriving at the Irish Embassy, Dr Mowlam admitted that the situation at Drumcree was "very difficult". She said the sporadic violence seen across the North was being carried out by elements who were not interested in peace.
