The message sent out by the leaders of the American, Irish and British governments yesterday (Tuesday) may have been a familiar one but was certainly not lacking in power.
According to George W Bush, Bertie Ahern and Tony Blair, illegal groups in Northern Ireland must be consigned to the past.
In a joint communique, they said that, in a 'complete and irrevocable way', there could be no place for paramilitary activity and capability.
They urged widespread support for the proposals which are due to be released by the Dublin and London administrations later this week. In addition, they made a specific call for the endorsement of our new policing structures on all sides and promised to work together towards attracting new investment in Northern Ireland.
No-one was seriously expecting a major breakthrough yesterday, but it is clear that our political process is reaching a decisive stage.
With the fifth anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement arriving tomorrow, this is an ideal time to deliver on both the spirit and the substance of the 1998 deal.
If all parties live up to their responsibilities, the disputes which have blocked the road to progress can be quickly swept away.
There is every reason to hope that, in those circumstances, the assembly and the executive will soon be back in full operation, with the kind of stability which had previously been lacking.
It must also be expected that, in any event, the assembly elections will proceed as scheduled at the end of May.
Yesterday's dispute over the Northern Ireland Office's failure to invite the DUP to Hillsborough was largely academic, as Ian Paisley and his colleagues were unlikely to have taken part in any discussions which involved the Taoiseach and representatives of Sinn Féin.
Mr Paisley also refused to travel to Washington for talks with the president only last month, in a change of attitude from the previous year.
However, as one of the four main parties which will inevitably dominate any future proceedings at Stormont, a meeting at any level between the president and the DUP could still probably have been justified yesterday.
