Ahern to receive peace award on US visit

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern was leaving Dublin today for a four-day visit to the US in which he will address the UN General Assembly for the first time and receive a joint peace award with Tony Blair.

Mr Ahern was to be handed the Thomas J Dodd award at a ceremony at the University of Connecticut.

The two prime ministers have been given the honour for their work in negotiating the 1998 Good Friday agreement on Northern Ireland.

Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott was standing in for Mr Blair at the event.

Mr Ahern was set to report on progress being made on advancing the Northern Ireland peace process in his speech to the UN – as well as dealing with international affairs.

Speaking yesterday, ahead of the visit, he said: “I am deeply honoured to have been invited by Secretary General Kofi Annan to address this year’s General Assembly.

“I am convinced that the primacy of the UN must remain paramount – this is a touchstone of Irish foreign policy, and this will be a central focus of my address.”

While in the US, Mr Ahern will have talks with New York Senator Hillary Clinton, a regular visitor to Ireland both during and since her husband’s presidency, visit the trading floor of the New York stock exchange in Wall Street, have a bilateral meeting with Mexican President Vincente Fox and receive an honorary degree from Fairfield University’s Dolan School of Business.