The meeting between Sinn Féin and the Ulster Unionists at Stormont ended earlier tonight, with Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble claiming that the discussion had "gone round in circles". Mr Trimble said that he had put a number of specific questions to Sinn Féin during the 70-minute meeting but had received only evasive answers. Mr Trimble said that if the circumstances were right, an Executive at Stormont could be formed next week. He declined to elaborate on the specific points put to Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness. Mr Adams, for his part, said that the discussions had been forthright and frank. The meeting, he said, had been adjourned and would resume on Monday. He repeated Sinn Féin's view that the the review could only work if it resulted in the full implementation of the Good Friday Agreement. He said that it could not be allowed to become a re-negotiation of that Agreement.
On his way into today’s discussion, the Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams said that they would continue to give the Ulster Unionists what assurances they could on the issue of arms decommissioning. Earlier, Sinn Fein's Chief Negotiator Martin McGuinness said that he believed progress on decommissioning could be made but that Unionists were responsible for the lack of movement on decommissioning over the last 17 months.
Today’s discussions were the first since the leaderships of the two parties held strategy meetings last weekend to consider their negotiating positions.
