Taoiseach ends US visit in Boston

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern will end his US trip today following talks with the Governor of Massachusetts and Senator Ted Kennedy.

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern will end his US trip today following talks with the Governor of Massachusetts and Senator Ted Kennedy.

After a meeting with Governor Deval Patrick, Mr Ahern will be the guest speaker at a brunch for 200 guests at the John F. Kennedy Library and Foundation in Boston. He will announce a grant for the library.

The Taoiseach will have a short private meeting after the event with Senator Ted Kennedy and other members of the Kennedy family before departing for Dublin.

Last night, Mr Ahern again emphasised the importance of a Yes vote to the Lisbon Treaty in a speech on the second day of his US visit, which elaborated on some of the themes in his address to Congress.

Addressing the John F Kennedy jnr Forum at Harvard University in Boston, Mr Ahern said that the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty was a priority for Ireland. "We want the European Union to be able to manage its affairs more effectively and to be able to play a more meaningful role in world affairs," he said.

He added that 2009 would be an important year for the EU. "It will be a time of change in many parts of the world. I hope that Europe will by then have had a new treaty in place. This will put our house in order for the future.

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"These new positions will give Europe a new profile in world affairs so that the values we share can be articulated more clearly. A major priority in the years ahead will be to ensure that the EU-US relationship continues to prosper. It is by far the world's most important relationship," said Mr Ahern.

Mr Ahern travelled from Washington to Boston yesterday. He attended a lunch at the Boston College Club hosted by Enterprise Ireland and the IDA. Later, he addressed the JFK School of Government and brought his audience up to date on developments in the North with the implementation of the Belfast Agreement.

The Taoiseach was welcomed to Harvard by former minister Síle de Valera, who is a fellow of politics at the Harvard Institute of Politics.

Ms de Valera has conducted a study group focused on European integration, and guests of the group have included EU ambassador John Bruton, former president to the European Parliament Pat Cox and Irish Ambassador to the US Michael Collins.