EU: The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, will lead a discussion on Russia during a meeting of EU leaders with US President George Bush, on Tuesday. Mr Ahern is one of 10 leaders who will open discussions on a number of issues facing the EU and the US during a 90-minute meeting in Brussels.
British Prime Minister Mr Tony Blair will lead the discussion on the Middle East and German Chancellor Mr Gerhard Schröder will open the discussion on Iran. Slovakia's Mr Mikulas Dzurinda will outline the EU's plans to help Iraq and Spanish leader Mr Jose Luis Zapatero will discuss ties with Mediterranean partners.
Mr Ferenc Gyurcsany, of Hungary, will introduce the EU approach to Ukraine and Austria's Mr Wolfgang Schüssel will address the future of the Balkans. The Dutch Prime Minister, Mr Jan-Peter Balkenende, will speak on the fight against terrorism.
Sweden's Mr Goran Persson will discuss development aid and the UN's Millennium goals.
Officials said Mr Ahern will speak for about four minutes, outlining the European view on the future of relations with Russia.
The choice of speakers has caused friction among the 25 member-states, with leaders who have not been chosen complaining of neglect, but Luxembourg's prime minister, Mr Jean-Claude Juncker, whose country holds the EU Presidency, yesterday defended the plan.
"We'll have a debate of 90 minutes so it's totally excluded that everyone will touch on each matter. It has been organised in a proper way. It will probably happen in a different manner, but that's always the case," he said.
The dispute is one of a number surrounding next week's meeting - the first visit by a US President to the European institutions. Mr Juncker complained yesterday about infighting between the Commission and the Council of the EU, where national governments meet, over arrangements for the visit.
"If ridicule could kill, there'd be bodies piling up in the streets in Brussels. One day you will read in my memoirs the difficulty to find the right way to have a press conference or to put a knife and fork together without having disrespect between institutions," he said. The Commission and the Council have argued over the venue for a joint press conference with Mr Bush, over who should be on the platform with him and who should host a dinner for the president.
"I wonder whether the grandmothers in Ohio or Texas looking at our press conference will be aware of the vast preparation that's required for this sort of event. I'm told that Ohio grandmothers turn off instantly if they find that we're in Council rather than in the Commission, or the other way round," Mr Juncker said.