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CIVIC CEREMONIES, CITY HALL, LOS ANGELES FRIDAY, 20 OCTOBER, 1995

CIVIC CEREMONIES, CITY HALL, LOS ANGELES FRIDAY, 20 OCTOBER, 1995

Mr. Mayor, President and members of the City Council, Ms. Molina

- It is a great pleasure and honour to be with you today in your Council Chamber. I recall with tremendous warmth my visit here in 1991. Since then, I have followed closely the many developments in this wonderful city with a very special and closer interest. On my previous visits here I have always been most impressed by the cultural diversity of Los Angeles, and the richness which that diversity adds to the life of the city. This diversity is, of course, represented on your city council, embracing as it does cultures from Africa, South America, Asia and Europe. In this context I hope that the Council members will permit me to say that we in Ireland take particular pride in the fact that Mayor Riordan's ancestors came from Ireland!

- Over the past few days I have been delighted to have an opportunity to meet some of the other Irish communities here in California, both in San Francisco and Los Angeles. In talking to them, I have been struck by the great affection they express for their adopted land, and the significant contributions so many of them are making in their chosen fields, including the law, business, the churches and, of course, the entertainment industry. It is, at the same time, a source of great pride to all of us in Ireland that the Irish diaspora also continues to take such pride in its own traditions, and to share its heritage with so many friends here in California. Over the past two centuries our countries have forged the closest of links, and I am delighted to witness at first hand the way these links are flourishing here in California.

- It has been particularly important for me to meet so many of the Irish diaspora at a time when we are commemorating the 150th Anniversary of the Great Irish Famine, when over 1 million Irish died and so many others had to emigrate to seek a new life in other lands throughout the world, many of them here in America. Beginning this year the Famine will be commemorated in many different ways, both in Ireland and abroad. Perhaps the most important way in which we will remember the victims of that terrible Famine is through the special, additional assistance programmes, in designated countries in Africa and South America, which the Irish Government will include as part of the commemoration.

- While we in Ireland are remembering our past, we are also looking forward with great optimism to our future, because this is also the year in which we are celebrating peace on the island of Ireland for the first time in over 25 years. I am particularly pleased to have an opportunity to speak to you at a time of such historic significance in Ireland. While there are obstacles to be overcome, and the nature of the long term agreement on a lasting peace is still to be defined, the underlying principles are clear - in particular, there is an unshakeable commitment to the political process of dialogue and negotiation, as the only way to achieving a lasting and just peace.

- The arrival of peace in Ireland has been a signal event, separating the tragedy of the immediate past from the brighter new reality of Ireland today. We want to ensure that we realise the potential of that new reality, particularly by availing of the many opportunities for economic growth and development which it offers. Ireland today is a young and vibrant country with a modern economy, a highly educated and motivated work force and excellent opportunities for investors, as evidenced by the growing number of corporations from Europe, Asia and the United States who have chosen Ireland as their location in Europe. It may surprise you to learn that Ireland captures one-fifth of all mobile US greenfield investments going into Europe. Of the 1,000 foreign owned companies in Ireland today, more than 400 are from the United States, many of whom are taking advantage of the location of Ireland as a gateway to the European market of some 370 million people. Indeed, the US Department of Commerce has stated that Ireland is the most profitable location for US investment in the European Union, with the return on investment being almost four times the EU average over the past ten years.

- We are confident that the strong links between our countries will continue to grow, and we would particularly welcome opportunities to further develop links with this city, and the State of California. Earlier this year President Clinton hosted an extremely successful White House Conference on Trade and Investment in Ireland in Washington D.C. It was a unique opportunity for leading American and Irish businesspeople to meet and explore the potential for further expansion of our economic links, and in doing so, lend invaluable support to the continuing peace process.

- For that support, and for the honour and great welcome you have bestowed on me here today, my warmest thanks.

- Thank you.