President Clinton remains fully behind the efforts to bring peace to Northern Ireland, his wife, Mrs Hillary Rodham Clinton, said at a reception in Dublin Castle last night.
Mrs Clinton was in Dublin for an overnight visit. "My husband remains personally committed to these efforts," said Mrs Clinton, who flies to Belfast this morning. While in Belfast, she will visit the University of Ulster campus in Jordanstown, Co Antrim, at noon, where she will deliver the Joyce McCartan memorial lecture in honour of the Belfast community activist who died last year. Mrs Clinton met Mrs McCartan on her last visit to the North two years ago.
The US First Lady is then due at Belfast's new state-of-the-art Waterfront Concert Hall at 2.30 p.m., where she will speak at a youth conference.
In Dublin last night, she said that during her visit she wished to highlight the two themes of compromise and reconciliation. "When the people want peace it is the obligation of political leaders to find common ground where it can thrive," she told 300 guests at a reception in St Patrick's Hall.
The guests were invited to the reception by the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, and his partner, Ms Celia Larkin. Welcoming Mrs Clinton, Mr Ahern said that the people of Ireland would not forget the message of hope which she and her husband had brought during their visit two years ago.
"With the renewal of the IRA ceasefire, we once again have a historic precious peace in Northern Ireland, a peace which dawned again through the heroic effort of many, including that of the US government."
Mr Ahern said that it was hoped to reach agreement, after which proposals could be put to the people of Ireland in referendums in the North and the Republic for their approval.
Following the reception, the Taoiseach and Ms Larkin hosted a private dinner for Mrs Clinton in Dublin Castle. Guests included the US ambassador, Mrs Jean Kennedy Smith.
Mrs Clinton flies to London this evening and is due to spend the weekend with the British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, and his family at Chequers.