Ahern and Blair claim 'significant' progress

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and British Prime Minister Tony Blair said significant progress has been made in the Northern talks despite postponing Assembly elections by four weeks.

The two premiers said they had made significant progress and would return in April to put final proposals before the Northern parties.

Their failure to finalise matters this week has forced a postponement of the Assembly elections, which were due to take place on May 1.

In order for those elections to go ahead as planned, the Northern institutions would have had to be restored within the next few weeks.

As this appeared impossible, Mr Ahern and Mr Blair decided to reschedule the elections for May 29.

Although all sides agreed that significant progress was made in the past two days, a number of issues remained unresolved when the talks broke up late last night.

Sinn Fein and the SDLP reported progress on policing, demilitarisation, criminal justice and the return of IRA fugitives, while the Ulster Unionists appeared to accept that republicans are genuine about peace.

However, UUP leader David Trimble insisted that his party will delay a decision on whether to return to power-sharing until the IRA has made its move.

Mr Trimble said he has no doubt republicans are preparing to move, but is still unsure if this movement will be enough to restore unionist confidence in the agreement.

Sinn Fein, meanwhile, resisted all attempts by the UUP to introduce sanctions that would see republicans expelled from Government if the IRA breached its ceasefire.

Sinn Fein said any such sanctions would be outside the terms of the agreement and would disenfranchise the party's voters.

Speaking after the talks broke up, Mr Blair expressed optimism about the prospects for a final resolution.

"What is clear is that we have a way forward that we believe can offer the chance of ensuring that all aspects of the Belfast or Good Friday Agreement are properly implemented," he said.

The Taoiseach was also upbeat. "Much progress has been achieved, there's no doubt about that," Mr Ahern said.

"We haven't perhaps been able to resolve every point to conclusion of everybody's satisfaction, but we certainly have moved it a long way."

The SDLP was slightly less optimistic, with Brid Rodgers expressing frustration at the failure to secure mutual trust between the parties.

"We need to get the safeguards which will reassure everyone, unionist and nationalist, that this time it's for real and this time it will happen," she said.