German Chancellor Mr Gerhard Schroeder and French President Mr Jacques Chirac have said they remain committed to securing a new European Union constitution.
But the two said they would not back down on their demands for a new voting system.
After talks with Mr Chirac outside Berlin, Mr Schroeder, who meets the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern in Dublin later today, said he would meet later with Mr Ahern to explain the French-German position.
"The constitutional process must be successful," Mr Schroeder told a news conference. "But not at any price."
Deadlock over the issue derailed a December EU summit in Brussels when Spain and Poland clashed with Germany and France over the allocation of votes.
The two smaller countries opposed rules adopted in 2000 that gave them 27 votes each to 29 each for France and Germany, which want the system altered to reflect their greater populations.
Mr Chirac said the two leaders also discussed Iraq. Germany and France both opposed the US-led invasion that ousted Saddam Hussein.