Sides welcome plan for working group

The British and Irish governments heralded yesterday's unexpected talks initiative as marking significant progress.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Andrews, and the North's political development minister, Mr Paul Murphy, welcomed the decision to establish a small political working group charged with injecting direction and pace into the negotiations. Mr Murphy added: "By Christmas, I hope we will be able to give you some good news."

Mr Andrews said: "This marked a new beginning, a new departure in the negotiations. We are, I think, down to the nitty-gritty of what we are about here. All issues are on the table. Everything is open for discussion and I think there was a feeling of genuine optimism and hope about what happened."

He said the working group would deal with key issues and, hopefully, out of its deliberations would come a "formative agreement".

He added that a "curtain should be drawn" on the controversy over his weekend comments about North-South bodies with powerful executive powers.

However, the Ulster Unionist Party leader, Mr David Trimble, repeated his claim yesterday that Mr Andrews's comments were placing the talks in jeopardy. He said further clarification of Dublin's position on North-South bodies was required before the matter could be resolved. The controversy was also calling into question any meeting with the Taoiseach at the Stormont talks on Monday.

Mr Andrews, in response, said he was at one with a "prominent unionist leader" who said to him yesterday that there was "now a curtain drawn on" the matter.

Ms Liz O'Donnell, of the PDs, who also attended yesterday's talks, said it was important that all politicians, including Mr Trimble, supported the new working group. "For that reason, we look forward to the beginning of this process in a smaller, more focused arena. And I think that we can make substantial progress if the goodwill is there - and I believe it is."

The SDLP leader, Mr John Hume, described the initiative as a "positive development". He was glad that the parties were getting down to discussing the key and essential issues that must be confronted if there was to be a settlement.

The Sinn Fein president, Mr Gerry Adams, was also encouraged by the development. "We have seen some progress and I welcome that. This is a significant little step forward. We have seen some progress and we should build upon it."