Trimble and Adams talks continue tomorrow

Ulster Unionist leader Mr David Trimble and Sinn Féin president Mr Gerry Adams are planning another meeting tomorrow.

Ulster Unionist leader Mr David Trimble and Sinn Féin president Mr Gerry Adams are planning another meeting tomorrow.

It will be the fifth such discussion between the two men over the past three weeks and comes as efforts continue to restore the Northern Ireland Assembly and power-sharing executive.

A Stormont source said: "The meeting is part of the ongoing efforts to enable Assembly elections to take place and restore the political institutions."

In a speech to a fringe meeting at the British Labour Party conference last night, Mt Trimble urged republicans to stand up to those in the IRA resisting acts of completion and support for policing in Northern Ireland.

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The Upper Bann MP also warned there was only a fortnight left to break the political deadlock at Stormont if Assembly elections were to take place in November.

Mr Trimble and Mr Adams are expected to meet in London. But both sides have been anxious to dampen hopes that they are close to a deal that will restore devolution, which was suspended in Northern Ireland amid allegations of IRA spying.

Efforts to restore devolution stumbled in the spring over the IRA's refusal to make a clear declaration that it will end recruiting, training, weapons procurement, intelligence gathering, targeting and involvement in all forms of violence from so called punishment attacks to riots.

Assembly elections scheduled for May were cancelled four days into the campaign by Prime Minister Tony Blair despite public assurances from the IRA and Sinn Féin that republicans would do nothing to undermine the Belfast Agreement.

After a peaceful summer in Northern Ireland there has been a renewed effort to resolve the problems in the peace process to enable Assembly elections to take place in November or December.

It is believed most parties favour November 13th as the date for any election.

"There is real concern that some people are deliberately attempting to raise expectations too high in a bid to sabotage the talks."

PA