US ambassador Mr James Kenny has rejected charges that President, George Bush's 24-hour visit to Ireland later this month is designed to boost his re-election campaign.
"He is getting major static for spending the month of June [dealing with relations with Europe]. He thinks that it is important, that it does matter," the ambassador told The Irish Times.
Paying tribute to the Government, the ambassador said the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, and the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Cowen, had done much during Ireland's EU presidency to improve transatlantic relations.
"I have to give them a lot of credit for the foresight that was shown. One of their principal goals was to work on this relationship and to get it back to where it was prior to 9/11.
"Both of us have learnt a lot, I think," said Mr Kenny, who is deeply involved in the preparations for Mr Bush's visit to Dromolond Castle in late June for the EU/US summit. The Government had "tackled some big issues" during the EU presidency, including efforts to conclude negotiations on the EU Constitution. "They made a judgment after March to go after it.
"They have done an excellent job and I hope that they will be successful. If the Irish pull this off it will really be a feather in their caps," the ambassador went on.
The EU/US summit "gets more important by the day", particularly since the deal at the United Nations to transfer sovereignty in Iraq on June 30th, he said. Acknowledging that the US and EU have different views, he said: "Do we see eye to eye on every issue? No. Does the US have all the answers? No, we don't.
"We have a lot of friendships that have been renewed and the Irish helped to do it," said Mr Kenny, who was appointed by President Bush. Accepting that demonstrations will mark President Bush's visit, he said: "That is their right. The hard part is looking at it from the US side.
"We are in a very tough situation as the leader of the free world and the only superpower. We always seem to be damned if we do, and damned if we don't." Based upon his travels around the country so far, the ambassador said he believed the "silent majority" remain solidly supportive of the US.
Campaigners against the war in Iraq have been refused permission to hold a "peace picnic" in the Phoenix Park, Dublin, during the visit by President Bush.
The Office of Public Works has told the organisers that such "protests" are prohibited in the park because of the risk of public disorder. Green Party TD Mr John Gormley described the OPW's decision as "indefensible".
