REMARKS BY PRESIDENT McALEESE AT A BUSINESS RECEPTION HOSTED BY ENTERPRISE IRELAND
REMARKS BY PRESIDENT McALEESE AT A BUSINESS RECEPTION HOSTED BY ENTERPRISE IRELAND AND THE BAHRAIN IRELAND BUSINESS NETWORK
Minister O’Keeffe, Ambassador, ladies and gentlemen,
I am delighted to be here this evening and to have the opportunity to meet so many leading Irish companies, their Bahraini partners and other important members of the government and business community.
Business links between Ireland and Bahrain go back a long way. ESB International established an office in Bahrain over 30 years ago and Aer Rianta set up operations here 15 years ago. Since then, trade has been growing dramatically with recent years showing a substantial increase in both directions.
Underlying all business success stories are people, men and women, from diverse backgrounds and cultures, working and communicating well together. There is great and spontaneous warmth between the people of Bahrain and the people of Ireland. Time and again I hear Irish companies and Enterprise Ireland talk about the openness and friendliness they find when dealing with the Bahraini people and I hope the Bahrainis can say the same of us.
These are pretty tough times for Irish exporting companies and, indeed, for companies everywhere – with very difficult market conditions and contracting economies in almost every corner of the world. We work to transcend those difficulties, to find scope for new business or expanded business and we do that sure in the knowledge that Irish companies have a lot to offer, because they offer customers world-class business solutions in carefully targeted niches. Their presence here today demonstrates their commitment to investing and building in Bahrain and their determination to successfully overcome these testing times.
In the coming years, opportunities for further growth in trade between Ireland and the Gulf region are likely to be accelerated by a mutual emphasis on business partnerships, strategic alliances, joint ventures and collaborations. Today’s successful companies think in terms of global customers and global opportunities, and one of the most effective ways to achieve sales growth is through partnering with Bahraini companies or through undertaking joint research and development work with local counterparts. That is why Enterprise Ireland is actively encouraging Irish companies, particularly those with proven product and services business solutions, to examine the potential for building and expanding their business in the Gulf region through partnership.
Ireland is a comparatively small country and, as we say in Ireland, if you are going to be small you need to be clever. Thanks to our success in growing strong export-focused companies with a drive to develop new markets, Ireland has become, proportionately, one of the world's most successful trading nations. Like Bahrain we are rapidly moving towards being a knowledge-based economy. We both have innovative business climates that are driven by cutting-edge information technology, entrepreneurship, creative ideas and huge respect for the importance of learning, education, training and research.
Ireland has made a career out of cultivating the knowledge economy and we are making record levels of investment in research in science and technology. We have created a sound, business-friendly environment for the global, multinational community as well as encouraging environment-small companies to achieve significant market positions in global niche areas. We work hard to put the name of Ireland on the international business map and we are helped considerably in that task by the Irish who live and work here and by the friends they make for Ireland through their everyday lives. We owe each of you a lot of thanks, and special thanks are due to the Bahrain Irish Business Network, with which Enterprise Ireland is closely involved.
Since its inception, the Network has provided valuable support for Irish companies as well as networking opportunities for those companies already based here. Our global Irish family, no matter where it is in the world, loves nothing more than to seek each other out wherever we are around the world – whether it be to discuss the latest news from home, or the latest state of business, or whatever is exercising the Irish this week. But we are not exclusive, for we also love nothing more than to share our friendship , our culture and our heritage with friends, colleagues and neighbours in our adopted homelands, to introduce them to Ireland and in turn to show a respectful curiosity and interest in their beloved culture and heritage. It is through these friendships and networks that we remain clan to one another and increase the intimate and reassuring sense of belonging to one large, diverse, human family rather than an uneasy world of strangers.
In the same spirit, I hope the relaxed and friendly atmosphere here this evening will lead to discussions which will help identify new opportunities. You, our guests, are key influencers and decision-makers who help to shape future business relationships and opportunities between your own organisations and many of Ireland’s leading companies. I hope you enjoy the evening.
Thank you very much – go raibh míle maith agaibh go léir.