The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, will represent the Presidency of the European Union at a G8 summit in the United States that is certain to be dominated by Iraq.
The EU has observer status at the conference, which is being hosted by US President George W Bush on the tightly guarded Sea Island off the coast of Georgia. Mr Ahern is current President of the European Council.
For a third straight summit since the September 11th, 2001, attacks, G8 nations - the United States, France, Germany, Canada, Italy, Japan, Britain and Russia - will focus on issues around the US-led war on terror, and by extension the war in Iraq.
At this week's Sea Island meeting, the United States will press Iraq's foreign creditors to forgive at least 80 per cent of Iraq's foreign debt of €120 billion, as Washington prepares to hand the reins to an Iraqi caretaker government at the end of June.
Iraq's two biggest creditors, France and Russia, are pushing for a smaller reduction of the Iraq debt.
Britain has said it will propose a broad plan that includes debt relief and addressing a global trade deadlock in its preparation to host the 2005 G8 summit.
Additional reporting: Reuters