PA MediaThe Irish foreign minister has said a "new air of positivity has created a flicker of optimism" in talks over the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Simon Coveney is holding formal bilateral talks with Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris.
Ahead of their discussions, Mr Coveney said there was "a lot of warm language" but warned: "We shouldn't get carried away with that."
He added that there was a "genuine effort" coming from the UK government.
Mr Heaton-Harris is hosting Mr Coveney at Lancaster House in London for a session of the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference (BIIGC).
The BIIGC usually deals with economic cooperation, political stability and security.
Mr Coveney also met Foreign Secretary James Cleverly on Thursday night, where the pair discussed Brexit, the war in Ukraine and issues about the UN Security Council.
"It is sending the signal that they're up for a serious discussion to try to resolve these issues," Mr Coveney told Irish national broadcaster RTÉ.
"Dublin and Brussels have noticed this change in approach."
Recent developments have included an apology by Northern Ireland Minister Steve Baker about some of his behaviour towards Ireland and the EU during Brexit.
"Time will tell whether the compromises necessary to get a deal are possible," said Mr Coveney.
It is Mr Heaton-Harris's first meeting of the BIICG but Mr Coveney's seventh, having attended all of the meetings since it was reconvened in 2018.
Mr Baker and Irish Justice Minister Helen McEntee are also attending.
The meeting is also expected to focus on plans to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.
There are reports that the British and Irish governments are keen for US President Joe Biden to visit Northern Ireland next April.
'Election takes us backwards'
Friday's meeting comes as technical negotiations resume between Brussels and London over the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Relations between London, Dublin and Brussels have improved in recent weeks and there is hope of progress in those talks.
However, on Thursday Mr Coveney warned that a deal was unlikely before 28 October - that is the deadline for restoring the Northern Ireland Assembly and the Stormont Executive.
The Northern Ireland secretary has repeatedly pledged to call an election if a new Stormont Executive is not in place by that date.
Speaking about the prospect of another election, Mr Coveney said: "This will take us backwards because an election in Northern Ireland will polarise opinion again and make compromise more difficult.
"There's a real focus on the deadlines that are coming in the next few weeks to try and make progress."
What is the British-Irish Intergovernmental conference?
The BIIGC was established as part of the Good Friday Agreement to promote bilateral cooperation between the British and Irish governments.
It deals with issues that are not devolved to Stormont.
Meetings tend to discuss economic cooperation, security and political stability in Northern Ireland.
It did not meet for 11 years between 2007 and 2018 but since reconvening it has met twice a year.
The UK government is represented by the Northern Ireland secretary while Dublin's foreign minister represents the Republic of Ireland's government.
An additional minister from both administrations attends.
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2022-10-07 10:32:24Z
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