Ireland's main focus when it takes control of the EU presidency next January will be to try to get all the EU economies "back up again", according to the Taoiseach.
Mr Ahern was speaking at Government Buildings where he is holding talks with the Greek Prime Minister, Mr Constantinos Simitis. Greece currently holds the EU Presidency.
Mr Ahern said Ireland would try to use its six-month term to try to "play a positive role in getting the economies back up again". He said there was a major part for Ireland to play in finding ways of sustaining employment.
The talks between the two leaders today centered on the Convention of the Future of Europe, of which a draft treaty is expected by the end of next month. This draft will then go before an inter-governmental conference before being signed by all the member states. It will effectively become an EU constitution - which is intended to bind all the other treaties together.
Mr Simitis said that while there were differences in opinion from the different member states on how the institutions, foreign and defence policy and justice would work under a new treaty, there was a will from all the member states to find compromises to reach a conclusion.
He also expected the Treaty on the Future of Europe would to be signed in Ireland. Italy are known to be keen on having the treaty signed when they take over the EU presidency but it is believed that there will be too much work to get through before the Presidency passes to Ireland in January, 2004.