US PRESIDENT George W Bush is planning to visit Belfast next month to honour a commitment he gave to outgoing First Minister the Rev Ian Paisley and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness in December.
Mr Bush is scheduled to travel to Stormont in the final part of a European tour which takes in Slovenia, Germany, Italy, the Vatican, France and the United Kingdom, it was officially confirmed yesterday.
The White House confirmed that his European trip will run from June 9th to June 16th while Northern Ireland officials confirmed the tour will take in a visit to Stormont. He will be accompanied by the US First Lady, Laura Bush. This will be her first official visit to the North.
Mr Bush is expected to visit London on the morning of Monday, June 16th, and then travel to Belfast in the afternoon. He is due to fly back to the US that evening.
This visit will happen under the new administration led by the incoming first minister Peter Robinson and Mr McGuinness.
British prime minister Gordon Brown may accompany Mr Bush to Belfast.
Mr Bush had hoped to visit Belfast for the recent US-Northern Ireland investment conference but was forced to change his plans and instead he wished the conference well by video link.
Officials stressed that the Belfast trip was in the early stages of planning and that no finalised programme was agreed with the White House. The visit is expected to last "less than half a day", said a senior official.
"This visit would have flown from the visit by Dr Paisley and Martin McGuinness to see President Bush in the White House last December."
Mr Bush was due to speak with Dr Paisley and Mr McGuinness for 15 minutes during that visit but the encounter extended for more than an hour.
The US president made clear he was anxious to lend his support to devolution and this visit will be his stamp of approval for the powersharing administration.
In his video address earlier this month, Mr Bush said the US would work to facilitate growth and prosperity in Northern Ireland. "We share with you the firm belief that even greater opportunities for co-operation lie ahead,"
A British government source said last night: "A visit from the president would further underline the US commitment to continued progress in Northern Ireland."
This will be the second visit to the North by Mr Bush during his two-term presidency. He travelled to Hillsborough Castle for what primarily was an Iraqi war summit with former British prime minister Tony Blair in April 2003.
He also met former taoiseach Bertie Ahern at Hillsborough. He used the occasion to press for progress in the peace process and to hold brief discussions with the pro-Belfast Agreement Northern parties.
Mr Bush, Mr Ahern and Mr Blair issued a joint communique urging support for a political agreement and calling on the IRA and loyalist paramilitaries to decommission.