REMARKS BY PRESIDENT McALEESE AT AN ENTERPRISE IRELAND TRADE MISSION DINNER, MOSCOW
REMARKS BY PRESIDENT McALEESE AT AN ENTERPRISE IRELAND TRADE MISSION DINNER, MOSCOW, RUSSIAN FEDERATION
Добрый вечер. Good evening.
You are all very welcome to this dinner organised by Enterprise Ireland, the Irish Government agency that develops and promotes the indigenous Irish business sector. What a wonderful pleasure for Martin and I to be with you this evening, at what is one of my first official engagements in Russia and indeed the first official engagement ever by an Irish President in the Russian Federation. I warmly welcome representatives of Irish companies doing business in Russia, and their guests, who honour us by their presence and I hope that this evening will help to foster even stronger relations between Irish and Russian businesses.
While Ireland and Russia frame the edges of the continent of Europe and have quite a large distance between us geographically, yet we are bound together by a common European history and heritage and by many surprising, often not so well known links both historic and contemporary. Martin and I are very much looking forward to exploring both these historical and contemporary links over the next few days in Moscow and St. Petersburg. One of the most important of these contemporary ties is, of course, our thriving business relationship.
Needless to say our economies have vastly different structures and scale - Russia’s natural resources in oil, natural gas, minerals and metals are the envy of the world, while Ireland’s strength is as a small open trading economy. However, in both countries our most valuable asset is our people for it is their genius, their brain-power, their ability to motivate, communicate and integrate which is an essential to the success of even the greatest business plan. For all the excellence, reach and potential of technology, the personal dimension, the human dimension remains crucial. In Ireland we excel in that person-to-person relationship. Our business culture is one of welcome, of encouragement and support. Ireland is a place where business can be done easily, reliably, efficiently and to the highest professional standards. By dining together this evening, we’re marking another chapter in the narrative of warm personal connectivity between the Irish and Russian business sectors.
In Ireland, our people have been the bedrock resource, responsible for a remarkable economic transformation from endemic poverty to exceptional progress over recent decades. As we emerge from the current economic crisis which has beset Ireland like so many other parts of the world, we believe firmly in our capacity to restore growth and prosperity. Our people work well together, coherently and unselfishly in the national interest. We are a highly educated people, given to considerable public discourse and to problem solving by consensus. We chose to prioritise the Irish education system, particularly at third level, and we are rightly proud of the role that it has played in the development of modern Ireland. I am particularly pleased to note the presence here this evening of representatives from Irish Universities and Institutes of Technology and their prospective Russian education partners. Later this week I will visit the Diplomatic Academy here in Moscow and the State University of Economics and Finance (FINEC) in St. Petersburg and I look forward to the development of stronger links between both our countries in the field of education.
To emphasise the diversity and strength of Irish businesses, Minister Billy Kelleher, our Minister for International Trade is here with us leading a trade mission and I’m delighted that we have also been joined this evening by a number of Irish state agencies. As well as Enterprise Ireland, I’m pleased to welcome Bord Bia, who are responsible for the marketing of Ireland’s excellent food and drink products; IDA Ireland who attract foreign direct investment; Science Foundation Ireland which is the national foundation for investment in scientific and engineering research; and Irish Thoroughbred Marketing. Companies internationally are increasingly turning to Ireland for quality, competitiveness and innovation. Whether your business revolves around the laboratory or the dining table, technology or the racetrack, the leaders of the Irish state agencies here tonight bring a compelling message – Ireland is open for business and we are a place where excellent people are engaged in the innovation and research that will produce the best possible outcomes for you and your business.
Russia's population and its strategic geographic position make it an important growth market for Irish companies. A strong trading relationship already exists between Ireland and Russia with bilateral trade now estimated to be close to €2 billion per annum, with great potential to grow further. As well as the strong Irish business interest in Russia, we have been pleased to welcome Russian companies who have set up operations in Ireland and we hope they will continue to do so in the years ahead.
I would like to thank the many leading Russian business interests who have given a warm and positive welcome to the development of economic links between our two countries. I suspect that some of the personal characteristics that Irish and Russian people share in common – not least our informality and sense of fun – make it much easier for us to do business together. To all the Russian and Irish companies represented here this evening, I wish you every success and thank you for your kind attention. Go raibh míle maith agaibh go léir.