Former Taoiseach John Bruton has been officially nominated as the Head of the European Commission's Delegation to the United States.
EU Foreign Ministers are expected to confirm the appointment when they meet next week.
The announcement from the European Commission has confirmed months of speculation that Mr Bruton was in the running for the top diplomatic post in Washington.
Speaking on RTÉ Radio this afternoon, Mr Bruton said his main priority would be to improve communications between the EU and the US.
He said there was a need for them to agree on rules and procedures to sanction the use of military force.
On Iraq, he added that the past could not be changed but lessons had to be learned, and identified trade, global warming and small arms dealing as problems which need addressing.
As a former Taoiseach, leader of Fine Gael for ten years, and a member of the Presidium of the Convention on the Future of Europe, Mr Bruton is well known in EU circles.
Welcoming the announcement, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Brian Cowen, said the decision to nominate a senior political figure to represent the EU in the United States reflected the priority the union attached to the EU-US relationship.
Nomination is 'huge honour'
Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said the nomination was a 'huge honour' for Mr Bruton personally and for Ireland, and that he would play a critical role in the development of EU/US relations, which were damaged by the Iraq war.
The appointment will also mean a by-election in Mr Bruton's Meath constituency, probably at the same time as Charlie McCreevy's seat in Kildare North is filled after he takes up his post as European Commissioner.
