Ian Paisley has held his first ever meeting with Irish prime minister Bertie Ahern.

The Democratic Unionist Party leader met Ahern in London on Thursday in a bid to re-start the Ulster devolution process.

Reverend Paisley had previously refused to meet official representatives of the Irish Republic but was persuaded to change his mind following last year's Stormont elections.

The poll resulted in the DUP becoming the largest single party in Northern Ireland and gave Paisley a crucial role in restoring the devolved assembly.

The veteran MP is calling for a full scale review of the Good Friday agreement before he will sanction the lifting of the suspension on Stormont sittings.

The British and Irish governments want to restore power as quickly as possible but face the difficult task of persuading republican Sinn Fein to give assurances that the IRA will give up terrorist weapons.

After the meeting Paisley said progress had been made.

"I believe it was a good beginning," he said. "We must now face up to the big issue, to get the guns out of the hands of the terrorists."