REMARKS BY PRESIDENT OF IRELAND, MARY MCALEESE AT THE DINNER HOSTED BY THE GOVERNOR OF OAXACA
REMARKS BY PRESIDENT OF IRELAND, MARY MCALEESE AT THE DINNER HOSTED BY THE GOVERNOR OF OAXACA, MR. JOSE MURAT
Mr. Governor.
Thank you very much for your warm welcome and this very kind invitation. My husband, Martin, Minister and Mrs. Ahern, and my delegation are delighted to be in Mexico, and particularly to have the opportunity to begin our visit in this wonderful state, one of Mesoamerica’s earliest civilizations.
We look forward to learning about that civilization, and in particular to learning about Oaxaca today. We are delighted to have this opportunity to sample the many colourful traditions for which you are so famous and which form such a vibrant link between past and present.
We in Ireland share your sense of history, and above all the importance of keeping that history alive. I am looking forward, with anticipation, to visiting many of the sites you have so carefully restored. From Monte Alban, the ancient capital of the Zapotec people, to the wonderful restoration of the Santo Domingo de Guzman, which I heard about from our Nobel prize-winning poet, Seamus Heaney, who visited here recently to launch the Spanish translation of his book “Station Island”. I will have particular pleasure in attending Mass at Santo Domingo on Sunday, and in celebrating Easter with the people of Oaxaca.
Oaxaca today is as famous as a centre of contemporary culture as it is for its glorious past. Later this week, in Mexico city, I will witness the signing of a new Memorandum of Understanding on Cultural Exchanges between our countries, which will signal a new era of co-operation between us. It is particularly appropriate that this new era should begin tomorrow, in Oaxaca, when I will have the honour of opening an exhibition by Irish artist Patrick Scott at the Museo de Arte Contemporaneo.
The culture and artistry which flourish here, are as evident in the markets and streets of Oaxaca, as in any museum or art gallery. On Sunday, I will have the opportunity to visit Teotitlan del Valle, to learn about your famous handmade carpet industry, and to meet some of the wonderful artists who work there.
Mr. Governor, I am all too aware that on our brief visit here, we cannot possibly avail ourselves of all the opportunities this state has to offer. In spite of this, we will take with us a clear memory of the magic that has attracted so many different cultures to this area for thousands of years.
As you begin your term of office, may I wish you, and the people of Oaxaca, every success for your future and the best wishes of the Government and people of Ireland as you continue on your journey into the next century.
Thank you