US experts to advise on North economy

A special panel of US business experts is to help boost the North's economy, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said today.

Mrs Clinton revealed that the group of more than a dozen US businessmen and women will offer their expertise to help create jobs.

But the Secretary of State told an audience at Queen’s University in Belfast that US economic investment in the region was a win/win situation that brought benefits to both sides of the Atlantic.

Mrs Clinton said that the panel of experts will work alongside a business delegation from the North to help support the efforts of the US Special Economic Envoy, Declan Kelly.

“They will be meeting regularly,” she said.

“They will help Declan develop strategies that can be pursued, that can be mutually beneficial, and will contribute to the recovery of the global economy.”

Mrs Clinton added: “In the past 18 months the Northern Ireland economy has been sturdier than many others.

“The people of Northern Ireland have remained competitive, in part because of their skills, their education and their work ethic.”

The Secretary of State catalogued the record of international investment in the North and highlighted the continuing desire of the United States to support the peace process through economic investment.

Mrs Clinton said a leading US healthcare communications company was planning a software design centre for Belfast.

She welcomed plans for a conference in the city which is set to attract leading technology companies based in Silicon Valley.

And while Mrs Clinton did not make any announcement of fresh investment she said she looks forward to new opportunities emerging in the future.

“Now, these efforts to promote greater partnership are win/win,” she said.

“We often talk about investment in Northern Ireland but we have also got thousands of jobs created back in the States because of Northern Ireland investment.”

Mrs Clinton held a private meeting with representatives of the North's business community for almost an hour at Queen’s, before continuing with her other Belfast engagements.

The University’s president and vice chancellor Professor Peter Gregson welcomed Mrs Clinton to the campus for what was her fifth visit.

He underlined the University’s continued commitment to building on its links with the US and pledged its commitment to supporting economic development in the North.