Unionists and republicans have agreed the format for substantive negotiations on the future of Northern Ireland which will begin next week.
In a three-hour meeting yesterday which was more successful than expected, the parties decided that all three strands of the talks will begin on Tuesday.
The decision was taken by the business committee in Stormont Castle. The eight parties taking part in the process are represented on the committee. Ulster Unionists and Sinn Fein faced each other in a small conference room. They addressed their remarks to the chairman, Gen John de Chastelain.
The committee - which includes Mr Martin McGuinness of Sinn Fein, Mr Reg Empey of the Ulster Unionist Party, and Mr William Smyth of the Progressive Unionist Party, the UVF's political wing - is responsible for deciding the talks' agenda.
The committee agreed that Strand One of the negotiations on the internal government of Northern Ireland will begin next Tuesday morning. Strand Two on North-South relations will be held later in the afternoon. Strand Three on Anglo-Irish relations will take place in the evening.
A Northern Ireland Office spokesman described yesterday's meeting as "upbeat and positive". Sinn Fein representative, Ms Bairbre De Brun, said: "If we have learned anything, it is that with a positive approach we can move forward.
"Unfortunately the DUP and Robert McCartney have refused to join us and continue to attempt to wreck the peace process from outside. They should join the rest of us in the talks and represent their electorate in these negotiations. The overwhelming majority of people on this island want talks to succeed. That is certainly our objective."
The Rev Ian Paisley and Mr McCartney are preparing to launch a campaign across the North against the talks process. Sinn Fein chairman, Mr Mitchell McLaughlin, urged Ulster Unionist leader, Mr David Trimble, to show leadership and confront his opponents before their campaign "runs out of control".