Bush plans Belfast visit for talks with Prime Minister

George Bush is to arrive in Belfast on Monday for a two-day visit that will include a summit with Tony Blair.

The idea of the US President leaving Washington at such a crucial junction of the war in Iraq, as American troops close in on Baghdad, caused great surprise last night. He will be met in Belfast by Mr Blair for discussions that will encompass the Iraqi conflict, the Middle East peace process and Northern Ireland.

The timing of the visit, and its length, may be taken as indicating a certain insouciance on the President's part. With the battle of Baghdad apparently beginning, the message appears to be that President Bush will not be micro-managing the details of the conflict.

Bertie Ahern, the Taois-each, is expected to join the talks. Mr Ahern and Mr Blair had planned to visit Belfast on 10 April to release a document aimed at kick-starting the Northern Ireland peace process. The first day of the visit is expected to concentrate on the war in Iraq, as a follow-up to the last Bush-Blair meeting in the Azores last month. It will also address the Middle East. Day two will address the Northern Ireland question.

Mr Blair, who has often referred to the Northern Ireland peace process as a template for other conflicts, may offer lessons learnt in Belfast as being of potential use in the Middle East.

The US President has devoted much less time than did his predecessor, Bill Clinton, to the Irish peace process, partly because of his preoccupation with the airplane attacks on New York and Washington, followed by the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq.

The American administration has none the less been highly supportive of London and Dublin through its special envoy, Richard Haass. It has, for example, agreed to provide an American monitor of the new deal that Mr Blair and Mr Ahern hope to put in place in the next few months.

The two prime ministers intend to return to Belfast on Thursday next week to launch the blueprint, which has been under negotiation for months. They hope it will spark a move on arms by the IRA.