President McAleese arrives in Prague at start of four-day State visit to the Czech Republic

The President, Mrs McAleese, arrived in Prague yesterday afternoon for a four-day state visit, the first for an Irish president to the Czech Republic since the two states established resident embassies in 1995.

She is here at the invitation of President Vaclav Havel, who paid a State visit to Ireland in 1996.

The visit is seen as an important expression of Ireland's commitment to Czech accession to the EU. It comes at the same time as a European Commission annual report which shows the Czech Republic to be in sixth place out of six, behind Hungary, Poland, Slovenia, Estonia and Cyprus, in terms of its readiness for accession.

The ceremonial welcome is this morning at Prague Castle, which functions as President Havel's main office, followed by a 20-minute meeting between the two heads of state, a meeting between the two delegations, led on the Irish side by Dr Woods, Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources, and a 20-minute press conference to be given by the two presidents.

Journalists here have already sharpened their pencils and in interviews will be hoping Mrs McAleese will address the issues of the Irish approach to "illegal" economic immigrants (an explosive topic here); the granting of Irish citizenship to a controversial Czech entrepreneur (said to be in organised crime) in return for a £3 million investment; her opposition to abortion; and her support for women priests.

In the afternoon, she will meet the parliament's president, Mr Vaclav Klaus, a former prime minister and head of the leading opposition party. She then proceeds to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs to deliver her keynote speech on "Europe - Widening the Family Circle" to the Institute of International Relations.

In a country where many are wary of entry to the EU, she will be attempting to reassure Czechs by underlining the benefits to Ireland of its 26-year membership. Of equal significance to many in a country which has been the target of multiple invasions across the centuries, she will be dealing with national identity and the implications for it of EU membership.

Later she will attend the state dinner in the castle throne room, hosted by President Havel.

Tomorrow is sightseeing day. A visit to Prague City Hall hosted by Prague's Lord Mayor, Mr Jan Kasl, an architect committed to city renewal, will be followed by a helicopter ride to the medieval town of Cesky Krumlov in the company of the Czech Minister for Justice, Dr Otakar Motejl. Dr Motejl's presence is regarded as significant, given that reform of the legal system is a vital part of preparation for the EU. Cesky Krumlov's Renaissance and Gothic buildings are on the UNESCO list of world cultural and natural monuments, and the visit there is seen as Czech reciprocation for President Havel's visit to Newgrange.