Bush set for Shannon stopover at EU summit

US President George W Bush is set for a Shannon stopover when he is expected to visit Ireland in June for the EU-US summit.

A Government spokesperson said work had begun on arrangements for the visit, but cautioned: "With the security situation as it is, we cannot take anything for granted."

The Americans have ruled out Mr Bush coming to Dublin and instead he is expected to land at Shannon, the flashpoint for the country's anti-Iraq war protests last year. The summit would then be held in the region.

Security for the visit is expected to be the tightest ever seen in this country for a visiting head of state.

A date for the meeting has yet to be finalised but it could precede the EU summit in Brussels on June 17 and 18.

The high-profile visit could give an electoral boost to Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats, as it may take place around the time of the local and European elections on June 10.

The last EU summit Mr Bush attended in Europe was in Sweden almost three years ago. Late last year, he visited London on a trip perceived as a 'thank you' to British Prime Minister Tony Blair for supporting the US over Iraq.

While Mr Bush is anxious to repair the rift between the EU and the US caused by the war in Iraq, the fact that this is an election year for him is also believed to increase the possibility of a visit.

Relations between the EU and US were to the fore when Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and the Government met the European Commission and its president, Romano Prodi in Dublin yesterday to brief them on the programme for Ireland's six month presidency.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Brian Cowen outlined the Government's plan for an early warning system to head off potential disputes between the EU and the US on trade and foreign policy issues.

Mr Ahern also pledged to make a determined effort to get agreement between the EU members on the Constitution for Europe as soon as possible.

"We will do our utmost to achieve agreement. We believe that moving together is the right way for Europe to advance Union cohesion should be preserved and we do not speculate about failure," he said.

Mr Prodi repeated his belief that a two-speed Union is an option but said it should not be considered for about a year to give the member states an opportunity to come to a consensus on the Constitution.

"We cannot wait forever. It will begin when someone wants to go on ahead because Europe cannot always go at the speed of the slowest wagon," he said.

Mr Prodi stressed the need for progress on the economic reform of the EU, to make it the world's most competitive knowledge-led economy by 2010.

"Ireland is the country that can do this," he said, adding that the country had transformed itself economically since joining the EU.

Tánaiste Mary Harney will drive the economic reform programme which is one of the main goals of the Irish presidency.

"I am determined to make progress on these key issues during Ireland's Presidency of the Union," she said.