THE Northern Ireland Minister for Political Development, Mr Michael Ancram, has urged all the political representatives at the Stormont peace talks to return to the table when they resume in about three weeks.
Replying to questions in west Belfast yesterday, Mr Ancram said that if some parties decided to stay away because of developments over the summer, it would be "a grave error" on their part.
"I think it is accepted by everybody that the only way we are going to resolve the problems within Northern Ireland is by dialogue and ultimately by agreement, and if people stay away from dialogue you can't," he said.
He thought it was unduly pessimistic to suggest that the atmosphere that had developed since the Drumcree standoff would impede the talks, although he appreciated "the damage that was done by the events in July and the effect it had on both sides of the community here".
However, he said it had been useful to take the break from the talks. "We've been able to stand back, we've been able to consider the implications of what has happened ... I hope that having looked at the damage that's been done, all the political representatives will come back to the talks determined to make sure that through dialogue agreement can be reached and we can move away from that type of behaviour in the future."
Mr Ancram also said he welcomed the dialogue taking place between the communities in many areas on the issue of contentious parades. The lessons of the summer were there for everyone to learn.
Meanwhile, the Sinn Fein national chairman, Mr Mitchel McLaughlin, said there was little confidence that in their present form the Stormont talks could be meaningful "while the British government continues to exclude Sinn Fein and permits the unionists to have a veto over progress."
He said nationalists would insist the British government honoured its responsibilities in the area of nationalists rights.
"There is an urgent need for positive proof that nationalists rights and allegiances have parity of esteem. This means that all citizens and the political parties they choose to represent them are treated equally."