Ahern to voice concerns over US policy
Government sources indicated last night that Mr Ahern would also detail the Irish Government's concerns over US policy in the Middle East at a bilateral meeting with Mr Bush tomorrow morning before the main summit.
Speaking in the Dáil yesterday Foreign Affairs Minister Brian Cowen said there would be a full and frank discussion of any issues of concern with the US President.
Both leaders will have close to an hour together prior to the beginning of the EU/US summit to discuss such issues and other items including trade links and the situation in Northern Ireland.
While the bilateral meeting with Mr Bush affords Mr Ahern the opportunity to present Irish concerns, the official summit will see him assume his EU presidency role and present the agreed EU agenda.
Items to be addressed at the summit include the fight against international terrorism, the situation in Iraq, Afghanistan and Sudan, the Middle East peace process, the fight against AIDS and the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
However the summit's main message is an economic one and a declaration aimed at further strengthening economic ties between both markets, as well as a review of transatlantic trade, will be agreed.
Politically, Government sources are eager to stress that divisions which arose over the invasion of Iraq have now been replaced by a determination on both sides to move forward in returning sovereignty to the Iraqi people as soon as possible.
EU concerns with US policy will also be addressed with the EU delegation expected to raise the International Criminal Court, the continued use of the death penalty by the US and the Kyoto protocol.
The summit weekend will also see both sides sign a declaration on the establishment of a European-owned satellite network called Gallileo which will see a network of 30 satellites spanning the globe.
The Gallileo declaration has been negotiated over several years and is designed to ensure that the new European network does not clash with a similar US network controlled by the military.
Government officials stressed the Gallileo network would be civilian-owned.
Meanwhile, Tánaiste Mary Harney, US Secretary of State for Commerce Donald Evans and EU Enterprise Commissioner Jan Figel will today discuss transatlantic trade issues with the chief executives of 30 of the world's largest multinationals at a pre-summit meeting in Limerick.
The meeting will focus on identifying barriers to transatlantic trade as well as addressing international property rights and the fight against counterfeiting.
