Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble and Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams have met for the first time since the suspension of Northern Ireland's power-sharing government.

They met at Stormont as Northern Ireland Secretary Paul Murphy continued his round of meetings with the political parties in an attempt to find a way to end the current crisis.

The province's institutions were suspended on 14 October following a row over allegations of IRA activity, including alleged spying within the Northern Ireland Office.

Speaking after a 40-minute meeting with Mr Trimble, the Sinn Fein president said they had had a "useful exchange of views".

David Trimble said the onus was on republicans to move

But he said, as expected, "there were very few conclusions in terms of the big picture".

Mr Adams said: "I asked Mr Trimble how he thought things could be sorted out and Mr Trimble had no particular suggestion to offer. But it was a good meeting."

The Sinn Fein president said he had suggested that each leader could address the executive of the opposite's party, to Mr Trimble.

"He declined. But I hope he will think about the suggestion."

Mr Trimble said no significant developments came out of the meeting.

He said the onus was on the republican movement to move the process forward.

And he dismissed Mr Adams' suggestion that they should address each others' parties as a "stunt".

Mr Adams leaves for Washington on Tuesday, where he is expected to brief President Bush's special adviser on Northern Ireland Richard Hass.

He will also visit New York, New Jersey and Canada for fund-raising events during his six day trip.

Murphy meetings

Meanwhile, Mr Murphy continued the discussions he has been having with all of the parties, aimed at paving the way for a review of the implementation of the Agreement on which devolution was based and finding a basis on which the institutions could be restored.

NI Secretary Paul Murphy has been meeting with the party leaders

He met delegations from the Democratic Unionist Party - the main anti-Agreement party - and from the Women's Coalition and United Unionist Assembly Party.

DUP leader Ian Paisley said he told the secretary of state his party had no interest in taking part in a review of the Agreement's implementation.

The DUP leadership said it would continue to talk to the government, but would not endorse formal reviews or their outcomes, he said.

Mr Paisley said Northern Ireland was heading for a disaster and said an election was the only way forward.

Last week Mr Murphy met delegations from Sinn Fein, the SDLP, Ulster Unionist Party, UK Unionist Party, Alliance Party, Northern Ireland Unionist Party and Progressive Unionist Party.

But there appeared to be little common ground between the parties.

SDLP in Dublin meeting

Meanwhile, SDLP leader Mark Durkan met Irish Foreign Minister Brian Cowen in Dublin on Monday afternoon.

After the meeting, Mr Durkan said it was imperative that all of the parties reassured the public that they were still committed to the Agreement.

"This review [of the Agreement] will be more about renewing things than reviewing things," he said.

"This is not a renegotiation of the Agreement.

"We need to not only reassure our own constituents, but each others constituents that we are supporting this Agreement and we are not going to try to get out of our obligations."

Mr Cowen said: "We need to take the courage of our convictions and push this process as much as we can."

The Irish Foreign Minister is to meet Mr Murphy on Wednesday.

Under the current legislation the two governments must decide how to conduct a review of the implementation of the Agreement following the suspension.