It was all back-slapping, arm-touching and multiple handshakes at the Élysée Palace yesterday when the French and Irish leaders held their first bilateral meeting. After lunch, in the Salon des Ambassadeurs, they exchanged rugby jerseys with a bear-hug.
The German chancellor, Angela Merkel, may be squeamish about President Nicolas Sarkozy's familiar, physical diplomacy. Not so the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern.
The protocol section of the Élysée vetoed plans for the jersey exchange to take place in front of the palace, where 30 Republican guards, wearing red-plumed helmets and armed with sabres and assault rifles, stood to attention for Mr Ahern.
The table was set for 14, and the French and Irish leaders lunched on prawn nems and vegetable fritters, pink marinated daurade with Swiss chard and meat sauce, burgundy wine and mango ice cream.
True to his reputation, "speedy Sarko" expedited lunch in 45 minutes, half the time it used to take Jacques Chirac. A man not known for modesty, he boasted that 50 million French people watched his television interview the previous evening.
Mr Sarkozy then told the Taoiseach it was a national duty for France to win the rugby match they were to attend together last night . "He said he told the captain that. I wouldn't dare do that to the Irish manager!" Mr Ahern commented.
Protecting the common agricultural policy (Cap) until its scheduled reform in 2013 was, the Taoiseach said later, "my most significant point".
Agriculture was "the reason why Ireland fit so comfortably and positively into Europe," he said.
While everyone accepts that the Cap must change, Mr Ahern said he sought and obtained Mr Sarkozy's assurance that Ireland will play an active role in its reappraisal.
"I want a new Cap," Mr Sarkozy told French farmers on September 11th, saying he will tackle the issue under the French EU presidency in the second half of next year. In particular, he wants to establish "community preference" to protect European agriculture from what he regards as unfair competition, and replace subsidies with higher guaranteed prices to farmers.
In a meeting with Irish media, the Taoiseach repeated seven times that the Cap will not change before 2013.
"The president is very clear that agricultural countries should look for the opportunity of moving . . . to be a more efficient sector into the long term, without the level of subsidies," Mr Ahern said.
"We have no difficulty understanding the position - after 2013."
The message Mr Sarkozy is trying to convey, a French official explained, is that France wants to shed the "don't touch my Cap" reputation that harmed relations with Britain and Germany.
Mr Sarkozy also proposes that a 12-member "committee of wise men" reflect for two years on the long-term future of the EU. Turkish accession is one of several topics they will address. Contrary to the impression he gave in recent weeks, Mr Sarkozy has not tempered his opposition to Turkish membership in the EU, which Ireland views favourably.
"Having a meeting with President Sarkozy would hardly get beyond the first five minutes without [Turkey] being mentioned," Mr Ahern said. "He states his position all the time. He re-stated it. He has a very fixed mind on that issue . . . I don't think he was asking me to respond. He was telling me his view."
The Taoiseach is well acquainted with the Turkish prime minister and president, both moderate Islamists. "They are going through reforms," he said. "They are trying and that has to be encouraged."
Since there is no question of Turkey joining in the immediate future, he added, "I don't think we should get ourselves hepped up about it."