The endorsement given to the agreement by 71% of the electorate in Northern Ireland, while less than the Ulster Unionist leader had hoped for, was still enough to claim victory in the unionist camp.
His endorsement of the Stability and Association Agreement, signed earlier this year but still awaiting ratification by the Serbian Parliament, was a bridge too far for many of his party colleagues, our correspondent says.
Indeed, it appears the summit is intended by both President Bush and President Gorbachev to be a vehicle for the endorsement of initiatives ranging from a comprehensive bilateral trade agreement to intensified cooperation in the strategic energy sector of the Soviet economy to the facilitation of Soviet bond sales and other forms of borrowing in the United States and Western markets.
The Colombian president was also welcomed here with a breakfast at the White House and a big endorsement from President Bush, who urged lawmakers to approve a free trade agreement with Columbia.
They have been at loggerheads for months and have so far failed to reach agreement on the tour contracts sent to the players, in particular clause five, which covers sponsorship and endorsement deals.