Anglican archbishop to meet Gerry Adams

The head of Ireland's Anglican Church, Archbishop Robin Eames, will hold a ground-breaking meeting with Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams at Stormont today.

It will be the first time the Sinn Féin leadership will have had a public meeting with the Archbishop and senior members of the Church of Ireland.

The talks also follow Democratic Unionist leader the Rev Ian Paisley's first meeting with the head of the Catholic Church in Ireland, Archbishop Sean Brady, at Stormont two weeks ago.

Mr Adams will be joined by Dublin MEP Mary Lou McDonald, Newry and Armagh MP Conor Murphy, South Down Assembly member Caitriona Ruane, South Belfast MLA Alex Maskey and the head of Sinn Féin's outreach project to unionism Martin Anderson.

The West Belfast MP described the meeting as significant.

"This meeting is an important and significant part of our overall strategy of engagement with the Protestant Churches," he said.

"I look forward to meeting with the Archbishop to brief him on recent developments in the political process and outline what we believe are the necessary next steps as we seek to put back in place the suspended political institutions.

"The Churches have an important role to play in shaping a new shared future for all of the people who live here and I hope that this meeting will mark the beginning of a dialogue between ourselves and the Church of Ireland in the time ahead."

Sinn Féin and the other Northern Ireland Assembly parties are deliberating about the St Andrew's Agreement which was unveiled 10 days ago by Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and British prime minister Tony Blair.

The parties have until November 10 to say whether they will implement the deal or reject it.

Mr Paisley and his Democratic Unionist Party said to Sinn Féin that if it changes its policy on policing, publicly endorses the Police Service of Northern Ireland and supports the rule of law, they will form a power-sharing government at Stormont.

To do that, Mr Adams will have to call a meeting of his national executive and recommend a special party conference to urge Sinn Féin members to join with other parties who would serve on a Northern Ireland Executive in recognising the PSNI as the legitimate force of law and order.

Last week, Mr Adams and his executive asked their party chairperson Mary Lou McDonald, Conor Murphy and Kerry North TD Martin Ferris to take charge of an internal consultation with rank and file Sinn Féin members on the St Andrew's agreement.

The DUP, Sinn Féin and other parties are also engaged in discussions with the Irish and British governments on the final shape of the St Andrew's deal.

Meanwhile Irish TDs and British MPs were gathering in Belfast today for two days of discussions on the pace process.

It will be the first time an Irish-British parliamentary body will have met in Belfast.

Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain will be among those who will discuss recent developments in the peace process with the body made up of TDs and MPs.

Sinn Féin's Louth TD, Arthur Morgan, said he intended to raise the issue of the development of an all-Ireland economy with far-reaching proposals to regenerate the border region and improve public services.