The Government is making plans for a possible visit next year by President Bush.
The Minister of State for Europe, Mr Dick Roche, said yesterday the Government planned that an EU-US summit would feature prominently on its agenda for the EU presidency.
Such a summit was likely to take place towards the end of Ireland's six-month presidency next June, he said.
It would require the presence of Mr Bush and the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, as head of Government of the EU presidency state. The members of the EU Commission would also attend.
Mr Roche said: "The Taoiseach would lead the European side and I would assume that the president would lead the US side. It's certainly on our agenda."
However, Mr Roche said no definitive date had yet been set for such a summit. He said it was not yet absolutely certain that Mr Bush would travel. Mr Bush's availability next year might be limited due to the presidential election in the US, he said.
But Mr Roche added: "It is clear that there will be an EU-US summit. It is very clear from both sides that such a summit is necessary."
Efforts have been made in recent months to co-ordinate appointments in the diaries of the US and EU leaders, it is understood.
EU-US summits are generally held before the end of June every year, located alternately in the US or the state holding the EU presidency.
The last summit took place in Washington last June, before the Greek government passed the EU presidency to Italy.
Mr Bush last visited Ireland in April when he made a surprise intervention in the Northern peace process.
Mr Roche said there was a perception in Brussels that Mr Ahern would be in a strong position going into such a summit.
With the US and EU split over the war in Iraq, he said, the EU members would be conscious of Ireland's strong cultural links with the US.
Mr Roche said: "There is a fair expectation that when the Taoiseach leads for the European side that he has a better chance than most of succeeding."
Mr Roche also said that the Government would seek a reference to Europe's Christian heritage in the preamble EU Constitution now under debate at an Inter-Governmental Conference (IGC).
While failure to finalise the EU constitution during the current Italian presidency would see the IGC pass into the Irish presidency, Mr Roche said he did not know whether this would happen.
However, he said at a briefing yesterday that there were many areas in which the EU members were near agreement.
He said the Government favoured the inclusion of a reference to Europe's Christian heritage in the constitution because that heritage was a matter of fact.
