TAOISEACH Micheál Martin is expected to join British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at the British-Irish Council later this week in what is regarded as a sign of improved relations between the two governments.
Officials have yet to confirm the that the two leaders will attend Thursday and Friday's conference in Blackpool but it is understood both have made preparations for the meeting, which is scheduled to take place the day after Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris outlines his plans for bringing fresh momentum to the stalled efforts to restore power-sharing.
Mr Heaton-Harris last week reneged on a commitment to call an election immediately after the October 28 deadline passed for establishing an executive.
In statement issued last Friday, he said he would lay out his "next steps" with a statement at Westminster, which is expected tomorrow.
SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said he hoped the presence of Mr Sunak, the first prime minister to attend the British-Irish Council since Gordon Brown in 2007, marked a "renewed effort to repair damage done to British-Irish relations by his predecessors".
"A close relationship between these islands and a spirit of constructive cooperation is what’s best for people in the north," the Foyle MP said.
"This is a time when people in communities here are facing enormous challenges and I would hope conversations will centre on cost of living support, re-establishing the Stormont institutions and a positive agreement on the protocol that retains much needed economic benefits for the north."
Alliance deputy leader Stephen Farry welcomed closer contact between the Irish and UK heads of government.
"This is a crucial time in UK-EU negotiations around addressing some of the challenges posed by Brexit and the resultant protocol," the North Down MP said.
However, he said there was a "growing impatience" with the pace of progress in the recently resumed talks involving Brussels and London.
"Talks at a technical level can only go so far – they need to be escalates to a political level," Dr Farry said.
"While the talks are formally between the UK and EU, increased Anglo-Irish engagement and improving relations would provide a very helpful backdrop to that."
The last meeting of the council took place in Guernsey in July, when the Westminster government was represented by then-Northern Ireland Office minister Conor Burns.
A British-Irish Council spokesperson said this week's summit will be the fifth hosted by the UK government, with attendees set to "discuss and consider approaches to supporting sustainable growth and regeneration across these islands".
The council was established following the signing of the Good Friday Agreement, and aims to promote "positive practical relationships" between the UK's devolved regions, the Republic, and Guernsey, the Isle of Man and Jersey.
