President Clinton is expected to visit Ireland in the first week in September, but White House officials say a firm decision has not yet been made. Consultations will have to take place with both governments before a decision is made on Mr Clinton visiting Belfast and Dublin, a spokesman told The Irish Times yesterday.
Now that it has been confirmed that Mr Clinton will visit Moscow in early September for a summit with President Yeltsin, planning is believed to be going ahead for including Ireland in this trip.
Meanwhile, the White House is viewing with concern the impasse over Drumcree and it is not excluded that President Clinton will again speak with the main political leaders as a follow-up to his telephone conversations from China last week with Mr David Trimble and Mr John Hume.
The White House spokesman, Mr Mike McCurry, told reporters yesterday that he would "not be surprised" if the President "engages the leadership" in Northern Ireland again but that this was "not imminent".
A firm decision on a visit to Ireland will clearly not be made until the White House assesses the situation in Northern Ireland at a time closer to the Russian trip.
But it is assumed that this trip would give President Clinton the best opportunity to make the long-awaited return visit to Northern Ireland and the Republic, where he hopes to get in a game of golf.