LONDON, March 3 (Xinhuanet) -- British Prime Minister Tony Blair and his Irish counterpart Bertie Ahern are to hold talks at the British PM's residence in Downing Street Thursday to discuss the current political impasse in Northern Ireland, a BBC report said.

    The meeting comes as the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and its political wing Sinn Fein are being blamed by the two governments and parties in Northern Ireland for the current deadlock.

    The governments say the meeting will give Blair and Ahern a chance to take stock of the situation.

    However, no new talks initiatives on restoring the suspended the self-rule government in Northern Ireland are anticipated aheadof Britain's next general election widely expected in May, said the report.

    Sinn Fein is facing sanctions and penalties of more than 500,000 pounds (900,000 US dollars) a year over allegations that the IRA was behind a 26.5-million-pound 47.7-million-US-dollar robberyat the Northern Bank in Belfast in December. The IRA has repeatedly denied the charge.

    Blair said last week that Sinn Fein could not be part of the government of Northern Ireland unless the IRA gives up paramilitary and criminal activities, the BBC reported. Enditem