The first meeting in nearly two years of the British-Irish Council will take place in Dublin Castle today, attended by the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern and the British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair.
A full gathering of the North-South Ministerial Council, which will be attended by Northern Ireland First Minister Mr David Thrimble, will follow the council meeting.
All of the bodies were affected by the February 2000 suspension of the agreement's institutions and, later, by the Ulster Unionists' refusal to take part fully.
The British-Irish Council, which includes Scotland, Wales, the Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey, will first hear a report on Ireland's anti-drugs campaign from Minister of State Mr Eoin Ryan.
Today's participants will include the Scottish First Minister, Mr Jack McConnell, his Welsh counterpart, Mr Rhodri Morgan, the Chief Minster of the Isle of Man, Mr Donald Gelling, the President of the Policy and Resource Committee of Jersey, Senator Pierre Horsfall, and the President of the Advisory and Finance Committee of Guernsey, Deputy Laurie Morgan.
The Dublin Castle event is "testimony to our strong commitment", the Taoiseach said last night. "We are demonstrating in a practical way the tangible difference the agreement can make to our lives." The Taoiseach and the Prime Minister will have a short meeting together before lunch, during which they will discuss Northern Ireland, Afghanistan and Sellafield.
Last night, sources indicated that the Taoiseach is more interested in hearing Mr Blair's reaction to the Government's recent attempts to close Sellafield than in proposing new ideas. "This is a listening exercise," said one.
The third North-South Ministerial Council meeting will begin in the afternoon, shortly after Mr Blair departs for London.
A report urging changes to encourage people to move across the Border for jobs will be presented, along with ideas to improve co-operation during emergencies.
