TÁNAISTE AND Fianna Fáil leader-designate Brian Cowen and the expected DUP first minister designate Peter Robinson meet in Belfast this morning for what is flagged as a significant North-South investment announcement.
The meeting of the two current finance ministers is scheduled to happen at about 11.30am - just an hour or so after the DUP parliamentary party is due to elect Mr Robinson as DUP leader and first- minister-designate.
The party is also due to elect a new deputy leader with the current Minister for Trade Nigel Dodds favourite to take the post. It will be up to the DUP executive of more than 100 members to ratify these elections on Thursday.
Just as Mr Cowen is taoiseach- designate Mr Robinson will be DUP leader and first-minister-designate until the Rev Ian Paisley resigns from these positions sometime after the US-Northern Ireland investment conference in Belfast from May 7th to May 9th.
Political observers will be closely watching the style and manner of the relationship between Mr Cowen and Mr Robinson, which is expected to be considerably different to the cordial and strong rapport eventually struck up between Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and Dr Paisley.
The focus is expected to be on establishing a pragmatic working relationship between the two leaders-in-waiting. Today's announcement will be about developing economic cross-Border co-operation, and is also seen as part of the build up to the economic conference in May.
Late last week Dr Paisley and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness separately travelled to New York for the announcement that four of the city's pension funds are to invest $150 million in infrastructure projects in Northern Ireland.
Later today, after their initial meeting, Mr Cowen and Mr Robinson will attend a meeting where new EU funding projects of more than £950 million are to be announced by the European commissioner for regional policy, Danuta Hubner, who will also be meeting Dr Paisley and Mr McGuinness.
The commissioner will also launch a report into improving relations between the Northern Executive and the European Commission. This initiative was promised by European Commission president José Manuel Barossa in the fledgling days of the powersharing Stormont administration.
Mr Cowen will also hold talks with Mr McGuinness today. The Deputy First Minister said he would update Mr Cowen on plans for the investment conference and would also raise with him the issue of when policing and justice powers will be transferred to the Northern Executive.
Mr McGuinness said: "With the change in leadership within the DUP and a series of outstanding issues which need to be resolved quickly, the political process is clearly entering a challenging phase. However, Sinn Féin will seek to continue to make progress and allow the process of change to continue moving forward."
