British Prime Minister Tony Blair and US President George Bush today called for greater NATO involvement in Iraq.
Mr Bush said the two leaders would work with their alliance partners to try to achieve its greater participation in maintaining security in the country.
Their comments came after 45 minutes of private talks at the G8 summit on Sea Island, near Savannah, Georgia, in America's deep south.
Mr Bush told reporters: "We discussed NATO involvement over breakfast and we believe NATO ought to be involved.
"We will work with our NATO friends to at least continue the role that now exists and hopefully extend it somewhat."
At present NATO provides only minimal logistic support for troops in Iraq.
The President continued: "A lot of NATO countries are not in the position to commit many more troops, we fully understand that."
Mr Blair told reporters: "I think that's right. The important next step in this is going to be for the new Iraqi government to sit down with the multi-national force and work out how, over time, the Iraqi capability for security can be established."
NATO has extensive experience of peacekeeping and stabilisation work from the Balkans to Afghanistan.
Mr Bush and Mr Blair are due to meet the new Iraqi president later today at the summit of the world's leading industrialised democracies - the US, UK, Russia, Japan, Canada, France, Italy and Germany.
Mr Blair went on: "I think the one thing that's interesting when you talk to the Iraqi prime minister and the new Iraqi government is that they do see the possibility of a democratic Iraq being a force for good in their region.
"This is a process of change and we have got to help people manage it.
"Sensible people sitting down and looking at the Middle East know there needs to be a process of reform and change.
"It's not for us to dictate it, but it is for us to help."
Several Arab leaders have been invited to the summit to discuss Middle East reform, including King Abdullah of Jordan, but others such as Saudi Arabia are noticeably absent.
The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, is representing the European Union at the summit, where the EU has observer status. "The Summit will provide the opportunity for Ireland as Presidency of the European Council to contribute to the decision-making process among the world's key industrial nations on a wide range of issues which affect millions of people world-wide," he said.
The Taoiseach said he hoped the Summit would help advance the Middle East peace process and bring about closer cooperation between nations in the fight against AIDS and the search for an efficient HIV/AIDS vaccine.