Bad form? Of course not.
Hey, I'm skeptical too. But if the guys with the guns can't be dealt out, then they've got to be included. If they're willing to at least talk about putting down their arms (again) then the expenditure of words is probably worthwhile.
For a long, long time I thought "IRA" would always spell "troubles." But Ireland stands as proof that bitter, longstanding violence can be quelled without killing half the population.