The Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr Brian Cowen and the Northern Ireland Secretary Dr John Reid have said they welcomed statements by the Ulster Unionist Party that their ministers will return to the Executive if there is a move on IRA decommissioning.
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Mr Reid and Mr Cowen in Dublin today
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Speaking after a meeting in Dublin, the two said they were disappointed Mr Trimble had decided to pull his ministers from the Northern Ireland Executive.
Mr Cowen said the resignations yesterday were "very regrettable".
"Our firm hope is that they are not irrevocable", he said.
"We also welcome the statement from the Ulster Unionist leadership that in the event of there being meaningful progress on putting arms beyond use... that their ministries can be reappointed immediately", he added.
When pressed on the recent speculation over an IRA decommissioning move, both parties denied any knowledge of an imminent move on the issue.
Dr Reid said: "I hope that there could be sufficient movement on the question of arms, but I have no information that leads me to expect that"
Both parties agreed that decommissioning was an important issue, although Mr Cowen pointed out that it was not the only issue.
"As Archbishop Eames indicated earlier this week response to decommissioning will be as important as decommissioning itself," Mr Cowen said. He said that he had also discussed Northern Ireland policing issues with Dr Reid at the meeting today.
The Ulster Unionist Party and Democratic Unionist Party ministers quit the Stormont Executive at midnight last night in the ongoing row over IRA decommissioning.
Dr Reid has one week to decide if the Assembly, Executive and other political institutions should be suspended to create the time and space for the problems in the peace process to be resolved.
Alternatively, he could allow the possible collapse of the institutions, by forcing the running of the D'Hondt system in the Assembly for the nomination of ministers.
British and Irish Government sources were unwilling today to be drawn on what course of action Dr Reid might take. It is believed suspension is the more likely.
A Stormont source said: "The British may use the seven days between the resignations and the Assembly nomination of new ministers to still work towards trying to achieve IRA decommissioning.
"We effectively have a week to resolve this but if the move on IRA arms does not come, then they will face the uncomfortable decision on whether to suspend or not."
additional reporting PA