The SDLP leader, Mr Mark Durkan, has told Ulster Unionists the Ireland he envisages would not be a cold house for anyone.
Speaking to a meeting of the North Down Unionist Association, he set out his hopes for "a different relationship" between unionists and nationalists in Northern Ireland.
"In the course of speaking to you", he said, "I do so mainly as leader of the SDLP, in part as Deputy First Minister, I do so as a democrat, as a nationalist and most significantly as an equal."
He said he was an equal "not just for now in the current political context, but an equal into the future where we can fulfill the "covenant of honour" between our two traditions that the Good Friday agreement can constitute."
It is the first time the SDLP and UUP have met in such a forum at leadership level. The invitation was extended in September when it was known that Mr Durkan would succeed Mr Hume, but before he was elected Deputy First Minister in the North's Executive.
Mr Durkan has said he is keen for the parties to maximise the benefits of the Belfast Agreement, although he is keen to stress that the strategic understanding he seeks falls short of any formal pact. "I am here tonight to listen to unionists as well as talk to them," he said on arrival at the Clandeboye Lodge Hotel near Bangor.
"We have paid too big a price for too many years of growing apart in this community in this country and in these islands. Now we can secure huge dividends from growing together," he said.
"Growing together need not diminish the integrity of any tradition or identity whereas growing apart has damaged us all."
In an effort to put his personal mark on the SDLP leadership he said: "Given both real hurts from the past, and real fears for the future, mutual distrust between unionism and nationalism is understandable. We have to achieve a situation where unionism and nationalism can even more readily appreciate each others' hopes and ambitions than we understand the hurts and inhibitions."
Mr Durkan said that rather than undermining and attacking each others' views and traditions, the people of the North now had an opportunity to underwrite each others' position.
In a call for greater unity he said: "All pro-agreement parties have contributed too much to allow difficulties to frustrate the mandate for the agreement, or promote short-sighted stances."
Following the meeting, the North Down MP Lady Sylvia Hermon said Mr Durkan had been warmly received. "We hope this will be the first of many such meetings," she said. "It was useful to hear so many frank questions answered in a frank manner."
Mr Durkan said: "People were not uncritical of what I said and they raised questions about the approach and attitude of the SDLP."
"The exchanges were useful. They have given me things to think about, things I might talk about differently in future."
Asked if she saw a time when Sinn FΘin figures would be invited, Lady Hermon said "once the Armalite is out of the hands and decommissioning is at an end, then we can of course put out the hand of friendship and invite other speakers".