The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Burke, will today give the UN General Assembly the Government's view of the situation reached in the Northern Ireland peace negotiations. This will be part of the Minister's address to the Assembly in New York, which will range over the UN's activities around the world and the Irish view of them.
In Washington yesterday Mr Burke had a meeting in the White House with the National Security Adviser, Mr Sandy Berger, to discuss Northern Ireland. Mr Burke said later that it was "an excellent meeting".
It was an opportunity "to thank him personally and, through him, the President for their ongoing commitment to the peace process in Ireland", Mr Burke said.
Mr Berger assured the Minister of the President's "ongoing commitment in the future and the offer of any assistance possible to secure the success of the process itself".
Mr Burke said that US influence could be best applied "in relations between London, Dublin and themselves and in keeping people focused on the process and the talks". The US "can be helpful in encouraging the unionist leadership, David Trimble and others, to remain focused as far as the talks are concerned".
Following Mr Burke's visit, the White House announced that President Clinton had named Mr James M. Lyons as a special adviser to the President and to the Secretary of State for economic initiatives for Ireland.
Mr Lyons, who has been the official US observer for the International Fund for Ireland, will replace former Senator George Mitchell as adviser on economic initiatives. Mr Mitchell had been combining this role with the demanding one of chairman of the multi-party talks.
President Clinton also signed a decree which releases $19.6 million as the US contribution to the IFI for 1997. The money is described by the White House as "tangible support for the work of community organisations in Northern Ireland and the Border counties in Ireland which promote economic and social advancement".
Mr Burke was accompanied at the meeting with Mr Berger by the Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs, Mr Padraig McKernan, the head of the Anglo-Irish section, Mr Dermot Gallagher, and the Irish Ambassador to the US, Mr Sean O hUiginn.
After the White House meeting, Mr Burke flew to New York for a lunch with the Secretary of State, Ms Madeleine Albright, and EU foreign ministers present for the General Assembly meeting.