The White House has reacted cautiously to reports that President Clinton may visit Northern Ireland next May when the peace negotiations are planned to end and be put to referendums north and south.
The British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, said in interviews following his Washington visit that President Clinton "gave me a very clear signal and understanding that he would be delighted to come back to Northern Ireland if the peace process goes according to plan."
A White House representative said yesterday: "If the Prime Minister presented to the President that a trip back to Northern Ireland would be constructive, the President will be pleased to take a look at that as things unfold in the peace process in the weeks and months ahead."
The representative said the President's trip to Birmingham for the G8 economic summit in mid-May is still in the planning stage and "whether that trip will include a trip to Northern Ireland is something that has not been nailed down at this point".
The representative pointed out Mr Blair's statements to the British media about a Northern Ireland trip had "some conditionality" to them. "We'll just have to wait and see how it goes".
A British embassy spokesman in Washington said he had not heard that a specific proposal had been made for a Northern visit.
Washington diplomatic sources wondered if it would be appropriate for President Clinton to visit the North in May if the negotiations were still continuing or it was the middle of the referendum campaign there following the negotiations. These would be "very sensitive" periods and the US Administration would have to question the wisdom of a presidential visit at such a time.
It was noted in Washington that Mr Blair said the Birmingham summit was not the only possible option for a Clinton visit to the North. In addition to the President's visit to Britain on May 15th, 16th and 17th for the G8 summit, there will also have to be an EU-US summit before the British EU presidency ends on June 30th.
However, a White House representative said the EU-US summit would take place sometime during the President's May visit to Britain.
The North's political parties gave a mixed reaction to the prospect of a Clinton visit in May. The SDLP and Sinn Fein welcomed the announcement, but the deputy mayor of Belfast, Ulster Unionist Mr Jim Rodgers, accused Mr Clinton of wishing to "interfere" in the affairs of Northern Ireland.
Mr Rodgers said: "He has enough problems of his own to sort out in the States without coming to interfere in our affairs."
The Ulster Unionist leader, Mr David Trimble, said: "If President Clinton wants to come and spend his holiday in Northern Ireland, I am sure he will be very welcome. I can quite understand his desire to be away from Washington."
Sinn Fein said President Clinton would be very welcome.