Talks between the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and Sinn Fein broke up with both parties committing themselves to further discussions.
The meeting at Stormont Castle lasted for two hours and was part of a process aimed at stabilising Northern Ireland's power-sharing government.
It followed the International Monitoring Commission reporting that the provisional IRA army council is no longer operational.
Senior figures from both parties took part in the talks, which came as unionists and republicans remain divided over the devolution of policing and justice powers to Stormont.
A spokesman for Sinn Fein said: "The DUP and Sinn Fein met this morning and discussed a range of issues.
"We had a useful exchange and will be having further meetings in the coming days and weeks."
The DUP leadership are still insisting on a declaration that the IRA has been disbanded before any further devolution takes place..
Party leader Peter Robinson said his party would demand complete removal of the IRA's army council to secure political progress.
The IMC's report said: "We are aware of the questions posed about the public disbandment of PIRA's leadership structures.
"We believe that PIRA has chosen another method of bringing what it describes as its armed struggle to a final close.
"Under PIRA's own rules the army council was the body that directed its military campaign.
"Now that that campaign is well and truly over, the army council by deliberate choice is no longer operational or functional."
It added: "This situation has been brought about by a conscious decision to let it fall into disuse, rather than through any other mechanism."
The report concluded: "The mechanism which they have chosen to bring the armed conflict to a complete end has been the standing down of the structures which engaged in the armed campaign and the conscious decision to allow the army council to fall into disuse.
"By taking these steps, PIRA has completely relinquished the leadership and other structures appropriate to a time of armed conflict."
Northern Ireland secretary Shaun Woodward said the report confirmed that the IRA had ceased to function.
"This groundbreaking report by the IMC makes clear that the army council is now redundant. I urge people to read the report very carefully.
"As the IMC made clear, 'the leadership structures have definitely ceased to function in the way they did during the time of conflict'.
"Today's report confirms this has happened."
Woodward added: "PIRA has met its commitment. It has abandoned all terrorist structures, its recruitment and PIRA's so-called 'military' departments have ceased to function and have been disbanded."
The British and Irish governments had asked the IMC, made up of security experts and politicians from the UK and Ireland, to compile a special report on the status of IRA structures.
Prior to the official release of the report, it was speculated that the IMC would conclude that the army council remained in place, but was not engaged in any illegal activity.
Asked if the report would go far enough to meet DUP demands for a disbandment of the IRA army council, Woodward insisted the IRA pose no threat.
He said: "If there isn't an army then actually, what are we talking about here?"
Dods Parliamentary Communications Ltd