The possibility of a visit to Ireland by US President George Bush later in the year will be one of the topics discussed when one of his senior officials visits Dublin today.
Ms Elizabeth Jones, the US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, is visiting Ireland for talks with Irish officials and EU officials on political and security issues.
Among the items to be discussed are the Middle East and recent developments in the Caucasus, Russia, Iraq, Afghanistan and North Korea.
The visit is the first in a series of meetings that will take place during Ireland's presidency of the EU leading up to the expected EU-US summit.