The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Burke, will today meet Senator Edward Kennedy and the Congressional ad hoc committee on Irish Affairs to brief them on the Northern Ireland peace process.
He will also meet Congressman Harold Rogers to lobby in favour of a US immigration measure which would make it easier for Irish immigrants in an irregular situation to legalise their status. Under US law, illegal immigrants who have not left the country by the end of this month risk being excluded for periods of up to 10 years unless Congress amends the rule.
Mr Burke is on a week-long visit to New York and Washington as part of his visit to the UN General Assembly, which he will address on Thursday. Yesterday, he met the Secretary General, Mr Kofi Annan, at a lunch for heads of delegations.
Mr Burke had a brief discussion about the peace process with President Clinton on Sunday night in New York. Mr Clinton said he attached the highest priority to achieving a lasting settlement and this would send a most positive signal to other troubled parts of the world.
Mr Burke also had an opportunity to discuss Northern Ireland with the US Secretary of State, Ms Madeleine Albright, and the President's National Security Adviser, Mr Sandy Berger. He will have a longer meeting with Mr Berger at the White House tomorrow before he returns to New York.
The Minister will also meet New York Governor George Pataki and Mayor Rudolph Giuliani.