Taoiseach Brian Cowen is attending Bastille Day celebrations in Paris today.
Mr Cowen will attend a heads of state and government lunch hosted by President Nicolas Sarkozy and will be joined by all EU leaders at a parade to mark the French presidency of the EU.
It is unclear if he will hold any informal discussions on the aftermath of the Lisbon Treaty referendum with Mr Sarkozy today.
Yesterday, Mr Cowen attended a summit aimed at strengthening and widening relations between the EU and other countries in the Mediterranean region.
The summit hosted by Mr Sarkozy formally launched the ‘Barcelona Process: Union for the Mediterranean’.
Mr Cowen said last night in Paris that he had no fears that French president Nicolas Sarkozy might prove a disruptive force during his visit to Dublin next week to discuss the Lisbon Treaty.
Asked whether he feared Mr Sarkozy might "speak out of turn" on his visit to Dublin on July 21st, Mr Cowen said, "Not at all. President Sarkozy is most welcome to Ireland. He's president of the European Union for the second half of this year, and a very eminent and capable politician and statesman."
Ireland's rejection of the Lisbon Treaty has "implications for the European Union going forward," the Taoiseach said.
"These are very legitimate issues that any presidency would pursue. He's asked to come to Ireland. He is most welcome and we look forward to discussing the issues with him there."
Mr Cowen was speaking as the heads of state or government of 43 European and Mediterranean nations yesterday launched a new entity with the cumbersome title of "Barcelona Process: Union for the Mediterranean."
"It's an effort to add more vigour and rigour to the Barcelona process," said Taoiseach Brian Cowen, who represented Ireland at the one-day summit.
The process had "very ambitious objectives, not just in terms of the middle east peace process, but greater economic co-operation and greater cultural exchange. This effort is to be welcomed."
The joint declaration lists six specific projects to be undertaken by the new union: de-pollution of the Mediterranean, maritime and land highways, civil protection, a Mediterranean solar energy plan, a Euro-Mediterranean University (in Slovenia) and a Mediterranean business development initiative.
The final declaration was delayed because of a dispute between Israel and Arab participants over whether the document should refer to "states" or "nation-states" for the Palestinian and Israeli peoples. French diplomats said Israel wanted the word "nation" included so that it can continue to be defined as "the Jewish state," and out of fear the Palestinians might use the statement to demand the right of return.
A compromise was reached whereby the declaration alludes to Lisbon and Annapolis summits last year; the Lisbon declaration referred to states, Annapolis to nation-states. The declaration specifies that the Arab League "shall be invited to the meetings of the Barcelona Process: Union for the Mediterranean".
The Arabs also obtained a paragraph saying: "The parties shall pursue a mutually and effectively verifiable Middle East Zone free of weapons of mass destruction, nuclear, chemical and biological, and their delivery systems."
Despite campaign promises to defend human rights, President Nicolas Sarkozy, the father of the new union, now says one "has to talk to everyone" in the interest of peace. He has been criticised by human rights groups for inviting corrupt dictators to the summit, in particular the Syrian president Bachar al-Assad. The final declaration pays lip service to "the embracing of all human rights and fundamental freedoms".
A Syria-Lebanese agreement to exchange ambassadors was Mr Sarkozy's main achievement, concluded before the summit began. The dry rhetoric of the joint declaration contrasted with Mr Sarkozy's flowery opening address, which concentrated on civilisation and diversity.
