The British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, despite the failure of the Stormont talks to agree an agenda, has expressed cautious optimism that the process will make progress in the new year and that there will be a political settlement by next May.
Mr Blair, on a brief pre-Christmas visit to Belfast last night, agreed that the talks were moving slowly. But nonetheless, he believed that from January 12th, when the process resumed, progress will be achieved.
"We are very close to reaching agreement on an agenda and that should be able to help us get near a framework for agreement," he told reporters during a visit to Belfast's new Waterfront Hall.
Mr Blair said he was still confident of making the May deadline. He said that politicians and the people of Northern Ireland experienced frustration from time to time but he believed the goodwill was still there to ensure that progress is made. Asked if the British and Irish Governments should now exert pressure on the political parties to become more engaged in the talks, he replied: "There is no point at this juncture in forcing people into particular positions".
He said that the only way to get a lasting political settlement was through inclusive dialogue.
"All parties are going to have to realise that a settlement has got to be fair to everyone. It has got to respect the two traditions, and it has got to make sure that it commands the support of the people," he added.
Asked what his Christmas message for Northern Ireland was he replied: "My message is that I will do everything I possibly can to bring about a lasting political settlement that stands the test of time, and that gives the young people a chance to grow up with some stability and security - a future that allows the community to live together."
Mr Blair addressed sixth formers from various schools on issues such as lone parents, student grants, the BSE crisis, education cuts, the peace process and Bloody Sunday.
He said that the British government was going over the ground carefully on Bloody Sunday.
Mr Blair also visited Antrim RUC station where he was briefed on the current security situation.
He completed his trip to Northern Ireland with a visit to the Hazelwood integrated school for a carol service. Meanwhile, the UUP and Sinn Fein were continuing to make conflicting statements on who was primarily responsible for the failure to agree a streamlined agenda. The UUP leader, Mr David Trimble, insisted yesterday that Sinn Fein refused to allow a possible Northern assembly to be written into the agenda as one of the key issues to be resolved.
The Sinn Fein president, Mr Gerry Adams, however, repeated that suggestions that the party refused to allow any particular issue on the agenda were "totally and absolutely erroneous". He accused Mr Trimble of adopting a "hit-and-run semi-detached approach" to the talks and of refusing to discuss matters such as sovereignty, prisoners, demilitarisation and other issues.
