Sinn Féin's chief negotiator Martin McGuinness is to travel to America this evening for a round of talks with political leaders in Washington. The trip comes as pressure continues on the IRA to decommission its weapons.
Martin McGuinness said earlier that the peace process was in terrible crisis. He added that determined attempts to achieve a breakthrough would continue into next week.
The Sinn Féin President said today that he had met with the IRA, and talks with the various parties and governments to end the current impasse would continue at least until tomorrow.
Gerry Adams said decommissioning was a huge issue for what he called physical force Republicans. He said the Sinn Féin leadership needs to be able to say that, if the IRA makes a move, the British government will seize the moment.
Mr Adams said all parties in the Northern peace process should work collectively to create a context into which armed groups can step.
The Northern Secretary has meanwhile repeated his view that time is running out for a solution to the issue of IRA decommissioning. In a television interview this morning, Dr John Reid said that he had been in contact with Sinn Féin over the past few days. He believed that they were working hard to try to resolve the problem.
Jane Kennedy, Northern Security Minister, has said that there was nothing to indicate that a movement on weapons by the IRA was imminent.
