Senator Hillary Clinton will visit Ireland next month on her first official trip abroad since her election late last year.
Senator Clinton has accepted an invitation to address the Dublin Chamber of Commerce annual dinner and will also meet the Taoiseach during her two-day stay on September 27th and 28th.
She was invited to address the function by the Chamber's chief executive, Ms Gina Quin. According to a spokesman for the Chamber, the organisation's president, Mr Alfie Kane, and the US embassy in Ireland played roles in securing Senator Clinton's attendance.
Previous speakers at the function, have included the then British prime minister, Mr John Major and US multi-millionaire and former presidential candidate, Mr Ross Perot.
Senator Clinton's itinerary has not been finalised but she is expected to carry out other engagements while here. It is not known whether she will visit Northern Ireland. She has visited Ireland on two of the three occasions with her husband. During those visits she made high-profile appearances at functions organised by women's groups.
Ms Clinton was elected to the Senate last year in a hard-fought contest in New York State, which has a substantial Irish-American vote. It is understood she is keen to continue her interest in Irish affairs. Her discussions with the Taoiseach are likely to concentrate on the situation in Northern Ireland.