US: The Taoiseach flies into Albany this morning for a week of engagements in the US that will climax with an address to the UN General Assembly in New York city on Thursday, writes Conor O'Clery in New York
Mr Ahern will meet Democratic Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton and Republican Governor George Pataki today in the New York state capital.
He is expected to brief them on the prospect of new elections in Northern Ireland and discuss expanding business links between upstate New York and Ireland. Ms Clinton and Mr Pataki - whose mother is Irish - have taken a keen interest in the North's peace process.
Since the cancellation of the May 29th elections, the Irish-American lobby has been strongly pressing the British government to name a new election day as soon as possible.
On Friday Mr Ahern criticised "speculation mongers" for talking up the prospects of a done deal on election in the North.
Tomorrow the Taoiseach visits the New York stock exchange and on Wednesday he receives the Thomas J. Dodd Prize in International Justice and Human Rights from Connecticut University for his work on the Good Friday agreement.
The €66,430 award is being shared with Mr Blair, who will be represented at the ceremony by the Deputy British Prime Minister, Mr John Prescott. The annual gathering of the General Assembly begins tomorrow.