Address by Minister Michael Ahern, TD, Ireland's Minister for International Trade

At a business briefing for Enterprise Ireland Trade Mission Participants

In the Hyatt Hotel, Warsaw on Tuesday, 3 June 2003

I am delighted to be here today and to have the opportunity to meet with so many of the leading Irish companies who are exporting to Poland. Enterprise Ireland's trade delegation to Poland is a unique opportunity to meet and network among your peers, and also to further strengthen trade and business links between our countries.

This mission is timed to coincide with the President's State Visit to Poland. This comes at a critical time, as Polish voters will this weekend be voting on their country's entry to the European Union. As you may be aware, President McAleese has been here since yesterday and has been prominently developing the official links between Poland and Ireland at the State level. She has made one keynote public speech, today in tandem with the Polish President, where she highlighted Ireland's experience in the EU. I am pleased to say that she will be hosting the Business Breakfast for this mission and your invited guests tomorrow morning.

Fundamentally, Enterprise Ireland's objective in organising this mission is to give you all an opportunity to generate more sales in Poland by allowing you to strengthen relationships with your Polish partners for the future.

The diversity of companies participating in this trade mission demonstrates to me most clearly the strong connections already forged by you with Poland. In the last ten years, our exports to Poland have been growing at a rate in excess of 25% per annum and last year our trade together exceeded EUR400 million per annum. This is driven by the several hundred Irish-owned SMEs already trading with Poland, a country at the very heart of Europe. It is heartening to have representatives of more than 50 of those companies on this mission as it reflects the depth of Irish commercial interest in Poland. From the export and from the investment points of view, Poland is our most important market in this developing region.

Over the past ten years, working through local companies in the form of sales offices, greenfield or brownfield start-ups and acquisitions, over thirty-five Irish companies have invested more than Euro 1.2 billion in Poland. Our companies have found themselves operating in a competitive region, which is making steady progress with well-educated and skilled inhabitants, a regulated business environment and openness to international business. Irish companies have nothing but positive things to say about the quality, calibre and willingness to adapt of their Polish employees.

As many of you already proven, Central Europe offers Ireland excellent opportunities for companies seeking business partnerships. Enterprise Ireland has a great deal of experience in working with Irish companies and potential partners in facilitating strategic alliances, sourcing relationships, joint ventures, product licensing and collaborative R&D.

Enterprise Ireland's office in Warsaw is staffed by a mix of Irish and Polish professionals and has over 40 years of accumulated experience of developing business for Irish companies on the Polish market. The office is here to help you. Please feel free to use it at any time.

ENDS