The deal, which Prentice's office would not confirm, appears to mark an improvement in relations between the governments after Prentice stood up Ramsay for a meeting in Ottawa on Halloween.
Prentice sent Ramsay packing before he could present the $40-million invoice for policing and other costs at Caledonia, but the bill was presented in a one-hour meeting last Friday.
"They've agreed to pursue the cost-sharing aspect of managing the dispute to date and in the future and we're very pleased about that," Ramsay told reporters yesterday. "They've agreed in principle that they will talk to us about that rather than saying no. I think what that means is they're prepared to enter into some cost sharing. What that will be will be decided by our officials."
A spokeswoman for Prentice, who is in China on government business, declined to discuss details of the conversation between the two ministers and their officials. "It was a private meeting and we're quite content to keep the contents of that meeting private for the time being," said press secretary Deidre McCracken.