Sinn Fein's Mitchel McLaughlin has predicted that the forthcoming talks involving the pro-Agreement parties will be a "slanging match".

However, the Foyle MLA said he was upbeat about the prospects for agreement.

UK Prime Minister Tony Blair and Irish counterpart Bertie Ahern have agreed to convene crisis talks of the pro-Agreement parties within the next few days.

The meeting follows a direct request from Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble to Mr Blair on the margins of the British-Irish Council (BIC) meeting in Jersey on Friday.

The move came as Mr Trimble faced calls from hardliners within his own party to exclude Sinn Fein from government following allegations of IRA activity in Colombia and the security break-in at police headquarters in Belfast.

However, a motion to that effect was defeated at a meeting of the Ulster Unionist Party executive on Saturday.

It is understood talks will concentrate on trying to resolve the current difficulties in the process and questions raised about the ambiguities of the present paramilitary ceasefires.

He proposed an urgent meeting of the pro-Agreement parties with the British and Irish Governments to address the current crisis

Government source

Mr McLaughlin said: "It will predictably be a slanging match, but I think inevitably there are chinks of common sense.

"Clearly there is any amount of common ground. We believe that these engagements are useful.

"We support, for example, the work of the implementation body - and there is already a scheduled meeting."

He added: "We anticipate - and it is not a question of if but when - we will sit down with the representatives of the Democratic Unionist Party as well."

A government source said: "Mr Trimble made the request during talks with the prime minister in Jersey this morning.

"He proposed an urgent meeting of the pro-Agreement parties with the British and Irish Governments to address the current crisis. That is being arranged."

Private meeting

A Northern Ireland Office spokesman also confirmed Mr Trimble made the request at his meeting with Mr Blair.

The state of the Northern Ireland peace process and reports about Colombia dominated the council meeting.

Senior politicians from the UK, including Mr Blair and Mr Trimble, gathered in Jersey for the event. Irish premier Bertie Ahern also attended.

David Trimble had talks with Tony Blair

Mr Blair and Mr Ahern went into a private room at the airport to meet ahead of moving on to the summit.

The prime minister also had talks with Mr Trimble who went to the airport to meet him.

A security assessment, shown to the BBC, which said the IRA was involved in developing new weapons in Colombia is thought to have been discussed.

Speaking afterwards, Mr Blair said the peace process was "best guarantor of an end to paramilitary activity".

He said there was "no acceptable level of paramilitary violence".

"That peace process represents the process of transition for certain parties from violence to democracy, but that transition has got to be completed.

"There is not a halfway house for democracy."