The DUP leader, Ian Paisley, has said he is looking forward to his first meeting with the All Ireland Primate Sean Brady at Stormont next week.
Mr Paisley, who was speaking at the Conservative Party's annual conference in Bournemouth, said they would be discussing matters relevant to the political situation and that he was sure they would have a most forthright meeting.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dermot Ahern, has said next week's meeting between the DUP leader and the Catholic Archbishop is a hallmark of a society that is mending the wounds of yester-year.
Mr Ahern was speaking at Stormont following a series of meetings with some of Northern Ireland's political parties prior to the publication of the 12th report by the Independent Monitoring Commission on Wednesday.
Mr Ahern said he hoped the meeting would add to the increased positivity surrounding the necessity to put government in place in Northern Ireland.
He said the Government viewed the meeting as an important component of the ongoing consultation process.
On the impending IMC report, Mr Ahern said he hoped it would confirm that the Provisional movement had done exactly what it had undertaken to do and was moving to an exclusively political footing.
Mr Ahern will meet the Northern Secretary Peter Hain on Wednesday ahead of the publication of the report, as a steady sense of momentum gathers prior to the political talks in Scotland next week.
Separately, the DUP wants to see the IRA's command structure dismantled before agreeing to enter government.
The party has called for further assurances on republican criminality before accepting Sinn Féin.
