ADDRESS BY THE PRESIDENT OF IRELAND, MARY ROBINSON, AT A BUSINESS LUNCHEON
ADDRESS BY THE PRESIDENT OF IRELAND, MARY ROBINSON, AT A BUSINESS LUNCHEON HOSTED BY THE IRISH TRADE BOARD IN BUENOS AIRES
I am very pleased to be here today and greatly appreciate the very warm and friendly reception that has been extended to us on the State Visit to your beautiful country. We Irish, of course, are no strangers to your country. There are strong ties between Ireland and Argentina which go back many generations. In the past, thousands of Irish men and women came to Argentina, were captivated by the wonders and potential of the country and decided to make a new life here. They and their descendants have contributed to the life of Argentina in public life, in education and medicine, arts and culture and in business and commerce.
I would like to thank you for coming here today and I hope you will have the opportunity to meet with representatives of leading Irish companies who are taking part in Ireland's first multi-sectoral trade mission to Argentina which is intended to explore opportunities for building increased two-way trade between our two countries.
The level of trade between our two countries is small at present, particularly in relation to our overall trade. But there is considerable interest among Irish companies in developing more business with Argentina. In recent years, a number of Irish companies, such as Kerry Foods and the CRH Group, have made investments in Argentina and other companies are doing business with local companies. This trade mission hopes to stimulate further mutually beneficial trade and business opportunities for companies in Ireland and Argentina to work together.
The Irish companies taking part in this trade mission include many of Ireland's leading enterprises which have established international reputations over a wide range of products and service sectors, such as telecommunications, energy, computer software, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, electronics and engineering, construction, education and food.
This diversity is a reflection of Ireland's economy today. Ireland is a young nation. We possess a history and cultural heritage that is among the oldest in the world but our independence as a nation is as recent as the present century. We have a predominantly young, well-educated, enterprising people with an outward perspective.
Over the past thirty years, Ireland set itself the objective of transforming a protected economy into a total commitment to inward investment and open trade. More than one thousand international companies have established manufacturing operations in Ireland, giving us, in particular, a tremendous growth in high technology industries.
Trade has been the making of modern Ireland and our success as a trading nation is remarkable by any standards. From the 1960s, when we were essentially an exporter of agricultural commodities to our next door neighbour, Britain, Ireland today has one of the most export-led economies in the world.
Ireland has been a member of what is now the European Union since 1973 and this has created huge opportunities for our trade development. The 15 nation Union has effectively increased our home market more than one hundredfold. Three quarters of all Irish exports are sold in Europe. This year, as you know, the European Union twelve became the fifteen with the admission of Austria, Sweden and Finland, which in turn has opened further prospects for our trade growth.
While Europe is our principal marketplace, Ireland has been active in building commercial links and developing trade throughout the world. This trade mission demonstrates our desire to expand these opportunities and strengthen existing international ties. The emergence of powerful regional trade groups such as the European Union, the Mercosur Agreement and NAFTA offers great potential for generating economic growth and improved living standards within these regions.
It is important that the expansion of open trade on a regional basis should be seen as building bridges, not barriers, to the further development of global free trade. I am pleased to note the strengthening of relations between the European Union and Mercosur is being progressed and that a framework agreement on trade and economic co-operation should be finalised shortly. In the wider perspective, the signing of the GATT Agreement last year, and the establishment of the new World Trade Organisation, show that there is a strong commitment to worldwide trade development and nations like Ireland and Argentina can contribute positively to this process.
In this context, I believe that this trade mission can not only help to increase direct trade between Ireland and Argentina but can also explore opportunities for companies in both countries to form strategic partnerships. Argentina is not only a major market in itself for Irish business but is also an excellent location for developing business throughout South America.
Similarly, for companies in Argentina, Ireland is the ideal gateway to the markets of Europe. Partnerships and joint ventures are one of the most effective ways for companies to gain a presence in new markets and, in Ireland, we have many companies - some of then here today - with access to European markets as well as proven excellence and performance.
I believe that this Irish trade mission has come to Argentina at a particularly opportune time and, as the warmth of your reception indicates, we can look forward to a significant expansion of business and trade between our two countries in the immediate future.