The White House expects to get involved once again in helping "nudge along" the Northern Ireland political process after the International Body on Decommissioning makes its report next week, according to a senior administration official in Washington.
"The goal is to get all party talks moving as soon as possible and to get all party talks in which the unionists will participate," he said.
The focus of the peace process will return to Washington in the first two weeks of February, as a number of political figures resume what is now a routine political pilgrimage to the White House.
Those planning to come to the US capital early next month include the Tanaiste, Mr Spring the Northern Ireland Political development Minister, Mr Michael Ancram Ulster Unionist Party leader, Mr David Trimble, and Sinn Fein president, Mr Gerry Adams.
In the next couple of weeks "we will be trying to encourage all parties" to move towards inter party talks, "though the parties have to do it themselves", the official added.
The White House does not know what recommendations the international body, chaired by former US Senator George Mitchell, will come up with, he said, though Mr Mitchell has kept the administration informed about the operation of the body and the timing of its report, which will be made public next Wednesday.
The view in Washington is that after Mr Mitchell and his two colleagues have produced the report, there will be a strong will to move to all party talks. While it is emphasised that the White House remains optimistic about the process, there is some concern "that the political track is not moving as fast as it should".
It is recognised that arms decommissioning would not mean all party talks "immediately", though many options could offer themselves in the coming weeks, including elections.
President Clinton, who has been regularly briefed on recent developments concerning Northern Ireland, has stated his commitment to remain involved in the process.
"A will continue to do whatever I can consistent with the position we have taken all along, which is to try to give aid, comfort and support to those who take risks for peace, without trying to tell people what specific decisions they ought to make," he said in an interview in The Irish Times after his visit to Ireland last year.
Progress in the peace process and the maintenance of the IRA and loyalist cease fires in the North are important to the President for several reasons, from his personal interest to the need to maintain what is claimed as a US foreign policy success in an election year.