The Taoiseach begins an intensive three-day visit to Hungary, Slovenia and Kosovo this morning, designed to build links with applicant EU members and to meet Irish troops serving in Kosovo.
The visits to Hungary and Slovenia are part of the Government's efforts to develop relationships with former communist states that have applied for EU membership. Hungary and Slovenia are expected to be in the next group of states to join the Union.
A series of meetings in Budapest today and the Slovenian capital, Ljubljana, tomorrow will focus on the extension of bilateral economic and political relations with Hungary and Slovenia, and the progress of their applications for EU membership.
Today in Budapest, Mr Ahern will hold separate meetings with Hungary's President, Dr Arpad Goncz, and Prime Minister, Mr Viktor Orban. He will meet the chief executives of about a dozen of Hungary's top companies to discuss trade.
Tonight Mr Ahern, who is accompanied by his partner, Ms Celia Larkin, will fly to Ljubljana, where tomorrow he will meet the President, Dr Milan Kucan, and the Prime Minister, Dr Janez Drnovsek.
"Hungary and Slovenia are among the most advanced of the EU accession candidates for membership of the Union," Mr Ahern said yesterday. "In this respect, it is important to build upon our already strong relations".
Tomorrow afternoon Mr Ahern will fly to the Kosovan capital, Pristina. His visit comes in the week Ireland begins its six-month chairmanship of the Council of Europe, which has been given the task of promoting civil structures and civil law in Kosovo. The Council of Europe has opened an office in the Serbian province.
Mr Ahern will visit the Irish troops who are serving with the NATO-commanded Kfor military force in Kosovo. Irish troops will from now on be involved in PfP-organised training exercises.
He will travel to villages outside the capital to look at the work being done by Kfor, and he may also meet the heads of Kfor, the mission of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the United Nations operation, UNMIK.
Some 104 Irish troops are stationed with the Kfor force, providing a transport corps. A further 11 Irish Defence Forces personnel are working with the OSCE or UN in Kosovo, with a total of 189 personnel working throughout the Balkans.
The Irish Rape Crisis Centre has two staff working in Kosovo, training people to counsel those dealing With post-conflict trauma. Concern and GOAL also have personnel in Kosovo.