US PRESIDENT George Bush has invited Northern Ireland First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness to the White House.
He also pledged to promote continuing US investment in Northern Ireland during his remaining period in office.
Mr Bush, during his visit to Stormont yesterday, also raised the issue of devolving policing and justice powers to the Northern Executive.
The US president, as well as meeting Mr Robinson and Mr McGuinness at Stormont, held talks with Taoiseach Brian Cowen and British prime minister Gordon Brown.
In addition, Mr Bush, at his personal request, met the former first minister, the Rev Ian Paisley.
Mr Bush had previously met Dr Paisley and Mr McGuinness in Washington last December and lent his personal support to the recent US-Northern Ireland investment conference that attracted over 100 senior executives from leading US companies.
The US president, flanked by Mr Robinson and Mr McGuinness outside Stormont Castle, said the conference had been successful. "People who come here looked at the government, looked at the situation, got to know the people, realised this is a good place to invest, and ultimately investment is going to help Northern Ireland realise its full potential," he said.
The US president said the progress made in Northern Ireland was attracting the attention of societies around the world that "wonder whether reconciliation is possible for them". More work needed to be done but the progress achieved would have been "unimaginable 10 years ago".
He referred to talks Mr McGuinness and junior DUP minister Jeffrey Donaldson held with Iraqi leaders and how they were exploring whether lessons could be learned in Iraq from the peace process.
"Martin was telling me about his talks with some of the Iraqi leaders and sharing his stories about how folks can reconcile, and how Northern Ireland is a success story," said Mr Bush.
Mr McGuinness said after their meeting that Mr Bush repeated his commitment to support the Northern Ireland economy and that he wanted he and Mr Robinson to travel to Washington before he leaves office.
"He said during the course of our conversation when he was leaving Stormont Castle that he would like to see Peter Robinson and I in the White House," he said.
Mr McGuinness said Mr Bush was affirmative in saying he would get things done during his final months in the White House.
"He said, 'I have six months to go but I will be with you every step of the way for the whole of those six months'."
Mr Robinson agreed with this assessment. "What took me slightly aback was that this was not a man who was winding down because he had only a few months left. This was someone who still had a vision and something to accomplish, and he wanted to give us whatever assistance he could in the remaining time," he said.
Mr Robinson said they would look "very positively at any invitations we receive" from the White House. He was confident that whoever took over from Mr Bush would continue to be supportive.
"I think there is very clear support with this administration as there was with the last, and I cannot believe that a future US administration would behave in a different way."
Mr Bush outside Stormont Castle said one of the matters discussed yesterday was policing and justice.
Mr McGuinness said Mr Bush "majored" on the issue. "He was very strong. All of us who spoke to him understood that he regarded this as a very important issue to be resolved," he said.
"The whole issue of the transfer of powers of policing and justice is a big challenge for all of us," added Mr McGuinness. "He talked about the need for leadership and the need for people to take this forward in a decisive way. All of the other functions have been transferred to Belfast, and that it was now vitally important that we had one last push to get that done. But he was very strong on the issue and at the same time respectful of where both ourselves in Sinn Féin and the DUP were coming from."
The First Minister said the DUP favoured such devolution but it could only happen when the "community confidence was in place".