Talks aim to resurrect institutions

The presence of Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and British Prime Minister Tony Blair in Belfast today cannot be taken as an indicator that anything dramatic is about to happen to jump-start the institutions back to life.

Both leaders will have bilateral meetings with all the pro-Agreement parties to see if a formula can be drawn up to break the political impasse which caused the suspension of the Assembly and Executive last October.

Their round of talks at Hillsborough Castle will be obviously coloured by the looming Assembly elections due next May, before which it would be crucial to have the peace process back on a positive track.