Meanwhile, the Church and Government Committee of the Presbyterian Church said it regretted that the political process appeared to be deadlocked again. Co-convenor of the committee Dr John Dunlop, called on unionists and republicans not to let short term interests stall the peace process. He said doubters and dissidents in both communities needed to be persuaded that the peace process would work. We set out what we think the long terms goals ought to be, where we treat one another with grace and generosity and where people of different backgrounds feel at home. For the republican community the aim has been at least two years of institutions as evidence that power will be shared and politics can be trusted.
Considerable difficulty arises, when one set of needs takes precedence over another.
The meeting took place against a backdrop of political activity in the province. US President Bill Clinton's deputy national security adviser Jim Steinberg arrived in Northern Ireland to meet key figures in the peace process. He was gaining soundings about any chances for progress before the parties travel to Washington to take part in the 17 March Saint Patrick's Day celebrations. Mr Steinberg was to meet with British and Irish government representatives and with representatives of the political parties to gain their perspectives on the stalled peace process. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites Links to other Northern Ireland stories are at the foot of the page.