THE President, Mrs Robinson, believes her first official visit to Britain, starting tomorrow, is a welcome time for both countries to "take stock" of each other and to recognise "the strength and depth of the bilateral relations between us.
Mrs Robinson, who pointed out that this will be her 14th visit to Britain since taking office, said the most important issue facing both countries at present was the achievement of "a sustainable peace". In the climate created by such a move, she believed it would be possible to consider a state visit here by Queen Elizabeth.
She was interviewed on RTE's This Week programme yesterday.
While the focus of interest by both islands was on Northern Ireland at present, Mrs Robinson said, the nature of a state visit would allow a range of other common issues to be discussed. She posed some examples.
How many people here realised that approximately 850,000 Irish born people lived in Britain? How many were aware that Ireland is a bigger customer of Britain than Canada or Japan? And that Britain is the Republic's biggest customer for exports?
Mrs Robinson ruled out any role for herself in advising British politicians and others at this "crucial time" between the Northern elections and the all party talks.
"I don't feel this is what I would do as President. It would be important to be sensitive not to be encroaching on policy areas. I will be trying to project a sense of the modern Ireland and that will he a very buoyant, vibrant, successful economy, linked very positively with Europe . . .
"Indirectly, I think that will have a bearing on the elections and the forthcoming negotiations."
Mrs Robinson refused to comment on the Northern elections. The Taoiseach kept her well briefed on the situation, she said.
She felt there was a mutual lack of awareness between the two states about each other. "I don't think they have a full knowledge in Britain of the Ireland I know and represent. Here, I don't think we look at Britain with sufficiently friendly eyes and we do not have the kind of relations which exist with other countries."