EU: The Government will use Ireland's six-month presidency of the European Union to help improve relations with the US, the Taoiseach said yesterday.
Mr Ahern said "considerable tensions" remained, but he hoped that progress could be achieved between both sides on a range of foreign policy and economic issues.
"There are many issues outstanding and we want to focus on the positive elements and try to build up some of the trust and confidence that was there previously," the Taoiseach said.
At a conference organised by the Dublin-based Institute for European Affairs, Mr Ahern said he wanted to see a strong and effective multilateral order, with a reformed UN at its centre.
"If we are serious about our commitment to making the multilateral system work, then we must take action now.
"We cannot on the one hand denounce unilateralism and, on the other, refuse to take the action necessary to make the UN system a more effective instrument for addressing threats to peace and security, including those posed by terrorism and weapons of mass destruction," the Taoiseach said.
Mr Ahern also said the presidency would continue with preparations to facilitate the 10 new member-states taking their seats as full and equal partners of the EU next May.
"It will be a fantastic moment in the history of Europe - one which would crown any presidency. We will celebrate it here in Dublin with genuine warmth and delight. It has been a tough and difficult process. We owe it to them to make sure that their integration is as smooth and as seamless as possible," he said.
Mr Ahern said the presidency would support on-going negotiations with Romania and Bulgaria, with a view to their accession within the next four years.
While the presidency will seek to prioritise external relations and employment reform, there is still a chance that negotiations on a new European constitution will spill over into Ireland's six-month term which begins in January.
Mr Ahern said that, with political will, discussions on the constitution for an enlarged Europe could be concluded at next week's summit meeting.
However, he said any outstanding work that needed to be addressed by the Irish presidency would be completed as quickly as possible ahead of next June's European elections.
He said there were still major issues under discussion which Ireland was seeking to defend, such as unanimity on taxation, protecting the country's legal tradition, and ensuring defence arrangement are inclusive and accountable.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Cowen, told the conference the Middle East peace process would continue to be an important issue throughout the presidency
Mr Cowen said the Government would seek to move Africa higher up the EU agenda.
The Minister said the ongoing conflicts in Liberia and the Great Lakes, the situation in Zimbabwe, as well as the overall crisis on the continent required a sustained international effort.
