A round-table meeting of the two governments and the pro-agreement parties is expected to take place at Stormont today in an effort to break the current political deadlock.
The pro-agreement parties have been asking London and Dublin to call such a meeting since the institutions were suspended last month.
However, both unionist and nationalist sources last night held little hope of progress. "There is a feeling this is more for the optics than anything else," said one talks participant. "It is about giving the appearance of movement and discussion before everybody goes to the White House next week for St Patrick's Day."
The US deputy national security adviser, Mr James Steinberg, who briefs President Clinton on the North, is on a two-day visit to Belfast to consult the parties.
Last night he appealed to the politicians to work together to break the deadlock and stressed that the North remained a top priority for Mr Clinton.
Mr Steinberg met Sinn Fein, the SDLP, Alliance and the Northern Secretary, Mr Peter Mandelson, yesterday. He will meet the Ulster Unionists today.
A series of bilateral meetings between the pro-agreement parties and the two governments will begin at Stormont this morning. A round-table discussion is expected in the evening with the two governments later holding a press conference.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Cowen, will be present. Speaking before meeting the SDLP yesterday, he said: "We are all dedicated to getting the institutions up and running as quickly as possible. We have not underestimated the difficulties but we are anxious to devise a format jointly where we can perhaps pursue matters together."
Announcing the series of meetings, Mr Mandelson said: "It is vital we don't allow a sense of drift, a sense of malaise to creep in. That's simply going to feed the cynicism with which the public, in some cases, have greeted the breakdown of that understanding between the parties that was the basis of the creation of the Executive last autumn.
"So we will put in place all the necessary meetings, so we can reactivate the Executive and institutions at the earliest moment."
The SDLP leader, Mr John Hume, said round-table discussions were long overdue. If the Executive and the Assembly were restored the political atmosphere would improve, he added.
However, Mr Gerry Adams said that while he was not against round-table talks, too much hope should not be placed in them. It would be pointless if all that happened was "regurgitating all the circular arguments".
"I don't have any faith in round tables, square tables, rectangular tables, coffee tables or any other variation of meetings until the British government realises it caved in to unionist demands and tore down institutions and tore up the agreement," he said.
Mr Adams welcomed Mr Steinberg's visit and said the US administration played a crucial role in the peace process.
The North's four main church leaders met the Northern Secretary yesterday to discuss the peace process and the farming crisis.
Speaking afterwards, the Church of Ireland Primate, Archbishop Robin Eames, said there was growing frustration among ordinary people.
Meanwhile, a UUP honorary secretary, Mr Jim Rodgers, warned that his party must concentrate on winning back its grassroots. The UUP had reached an all-time low in the eyes of many ordinary voters who were "totally disillusioned" with it for entering government with Sinn Fein, he said.