New Northern Ireland First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness today held talks over six hours in 10 Downing Street.
No substantive negotiations took place on the issues that divide the Democratic Unionist Party and Sinn Féin, but both men said they were satisfied that they had achieved greater clarity on where they stood as a foundation for further talks.
Both Mr Robinson and Mr McGuinness expressed a willingness to continue talking in Belfast in the coming days and weeks and said they also wanted to engage with leaders of the Northern Ireland Assembly’s other political parties.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Irish Foreign Minister Micheal Martin were present for the talks in a facilitating role, but Downing Street indicated the main purpose of the discussions was to allow the Northern Irish parties to engage with one another.
Mr Robinson and Mr McGuinness said they had each raised the economic difficulties being experienced in the province with Mr Brown and asked the Prime Minister for London’s support in dealing with them.
Emerging from 10 Downing Street this afternoon, Mr Robinson told waiting reporters: “We have had a very useful discussion today. It wasn’t a day for negotiations or getting in to massive detail or a day to be dealing with timetables.
“Everything has to happen in terms of building up confidence in our community and ensuring people are comfortable with whatever steps we take to move forward.”
He said he believed both sides now had “clarity” about one another’s positions, adding: “There will be some issues, let’s be very clear, that we will not be able to resolve. Far better we can say to each other ‘Look, we are not going to meet on these issues and therefore we have to deal with how we handle matters thereafter’.
“There will be other issues where I believe we can make real progress.”
Mr Robinson added: “I believe an awful lot we have done today we should have done in Belfast and need to do back in Belfast. The problems are in Northern Ireland not here in London.”
He said that, after reporting back to his party, he wanted to “roll up our sleeves and get down to work”, adding: “There’s a lot of work to be done and it is in the interests of all the people of Northern Ireland that we can make progress.”
Mr McGuinness said: “I believe it was a positive engagement, a very useful dialogue around a number of very important issues.
“I think we are all seized by the urgency of the situation and the need to make progress and I think that the thing we must do now is go back home and continue with our discussions next week in the hope that we can reach successful conclusions."
Mr McGuiness added: “[former first minister] Ian Paisley and myself worked hard and built up a good working and personal relationship. As a result of that we have put in place a very solid foundation.
“But the responsibility now falls to Peter Robinson and myself to build on that in the time ahead.
“I am absolutely committed to doing that and, from my discussions today with Peter Robinson, I believe he too recognises the serious work that needs to be done."
PA