News Analysis: A busy day putting the world to rights in Downing Street

While the rest of Britain agonised about the latest crime figures, the Prime Minister spent much of yesterday advancing the cause of world peace with a series of high-profile Downing Street guests. Andrew Grice considers what benefits - if any - such encounters bring

8.00am: Romano Prodi, President, European Commission

PURPOSE OF VISIT: "To discuss a wide range of international issues," according to Downing Street. Top of these would be Iraq. Mr Prodi and some EU countries have criticised Mr Blair for cosying up to the United States rather than working closely with its EU partners. Important EU issues were also on the agenda, including the convention drawing up a blueprint for the union, chaired by the former French president Valéry Giscard d'Estaing. Mr Prodi is no fan of Mr Blair's plan to appoint a powerful "President of Europe", who could eclipse his own role. Mr Blair, in turn, is no longer a fan of Mr Prodi. They also discussed the state of Europe's economy, which could have an important bearing on whether Mr Blair decides to call a referendum on joining the euro this year.

LENGTH OF VISIT: One hour over breakfast.

WHAT DID BLAIR HOPE TO ACHIEVE? Some help for Scottish fishermen after the recent EU cuts in quotas threatened their livelihoods. He will have assured Mr Prodi that Britain still wants a "strong Commission". He congratulated Mr Prodi on the negotiations that will allow 10 new members to join the EU in 2004.

WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT TO BRITAIN? While standing shoulder to shoulder with the US over Iraq, Mr Blair wants to maintain the broadest possible international coalition. The EU is important and plans to launch its own initiative to avert a war.

WHAT DIFFERENCE WILL THIS MEETING HAVE MADE? Possibly a mending of fences between the two men after recent tensions over Iraq and the EU blueprint.

WHAT ARE THE CHANCES OF SUCCESS? Mr Prodi welcomed Mr Blair's call for the US to "broaden" its agenda from Iraq to issues such as the Middle East peace process. But the suspicion in Brussels is that the Prime Minister will back President Bush whatever he decides to do. Differences remain over the EU's future direction, and there was little hope of progress over fishing.

HOW DID THE MEETING GO? It seemed to go down well. Downing Street said: "It was a wide-ranging and constructive meeting." The Commission agreed and declared that there were "wide-ranging, positive discussions".

2.30pm: Amram Mitzna, Leader, Israeli Labour Party

PURPOSE OF VISIT: A "getting to know you" first meeting before the Israeli general election on 28 January. The invitation provoked a furious reaction from Ariel Sharon, the Israeli Prime Minister, who accused Mr Blair of interfering in Israeli politics. No 10 points out that the Prime Minister has met several opposition leaders in the run-up to previous elections, including Binyamin Netanyahu, now Israel's Foreign Minister.

LENGTH OF VISIT: One hour.

WHAT DID BLAIR HOPE TO ACHIEVE? Mr Blair would have been looking for an ally in the row over Israel's decision to ban Palestinian delegates from travelling to London next week for a conference on reforms to the Palestinian Authority. The ban was imposed after suicide bombings in Tel Aviv last Sunday killed 22 people.

WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT TO BRITAIN? Mr Blair wants to see the West – particularly the United States – put more effort into solving the Middle East crisis to allay Arab fears over plans to disarm Iraq. He promised an initiative on the peace process last October but has struggled to get it off the ground.

WHAT DIFFERENCE WILL THIS MEETING HAVE MADE? Not very much. A more significant event was Mr Sharon's decision, relayed formally to Britain yesterday, to stick to his guns by refusing to lift the travel ban on the Palestinian delegates. Although he promised to meet the British ambassador to Israel, Sherard Cowper-Coles, there is little prospect that next Tuesday's conference can go ahead as planned. No 10 insists "dialogue" will take place with Palestinians – possibly a video conference.

WHAT ARE THE CHANCES OF SUCCESS? Not very good. Mr Mitzna emerged from the meeting to declare his support for Mr Sharon's decision, which is not what Mr Blair wanted to hear. "It's very difficult to explain how to back Palestinians who are not even trying to fight terrorism," he said.

HOW DID THE MEETING GO? Not great. Downing Street said tersely that there was "a wide-ranging discussion on the Middle East". Mr Mitzna said he and Mr Blair agreed on the need to fight terrorism while resuming negotiations on peace.

1.30pm: SDLP delegation led by Mark Durkan 3.30pm: Sinn Fein delegation led by Gerry Adams

PURPOSE OF VISITS: To break Northern Ireland's three-month-long political impasse and restore devolution to Stormont. That would ensure elections to the Assembly could take place in May. The stakes were raised by the IRA's uncompromising New Year message, blaming the current crisis in the peace process on the British establishment and "loyalist murder gangs".

LENGTH OF VISITS: One hour each.

WHAT DID BLAIR HOPE TO ACHIEVE? Mr Blair stressed to Sinn Fein the need for movement in the near future by the IRA. He will have been listening for any hint the IRA was prepared to consider "acts of completion" to end paramilitary activity for good. He reviewed the situation with the SDLP; the main issue was how to persuade David Trimble, the Ulster Unionist leader, to return to negotiations.

WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT? Ministers are alarmed that the painstaking progress in restoring normality to the province has stalled. With an apparent upsurge in paramilitary violence, the Government fears hardliners on both sides – Sinn Fein and Ian Paisley's Democratic Unionists – will exploit the political vacuum, bringing the Good Friday Agreement close to collapse.

WHAT DIFFERENCE WILL THIS MEETING HAVE MADE? Talks on hold since October have been revived and Northern Ireland's politicians will be heartened that the Prime Minister has become personally involved again.

WHAT ARE THE CHANCES OF SUCCESS? The positions have become entrenched, with much trust destroyed by allegations of IRA activity. However, there has been a tradition of Ulster's politicians pulling back from the brink at the last moment.

HOW DID THE MEETINGS GO? Talks with the SDLP went smoothly (both sides said they had been "good"); Gerry Adams also struck an emollient note afterwards: "It's up to all of us to bend our will." British officials spoke of "genuine serious engagement", although talks were at an early "hazy" stage.