| Governor Perdue Has Historic Meeting in
Northern Ireland  Georgia’s
Governor Sonny Perdue became the first senior political official from
the United States to meet jointly with Northern Ireland’s First
Minister Ian Paisley and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness. The
historic meeting took place in Belfast on June 19.
Governor Perdue was joined by Lt. Governor Casey Cagle for the meeting
at Stormont Castle which discussed how political stability in the region
will yield fertile ground for bilateral trade and investment.
“In this extraordinary meeting, I sensed a spirit of hope and reconciliation,”
Governor Perdue said. “It is clear that these two courageous leaders
desire to move Northern Ireland forward and make it a better place to
live and work for generations to come.”
While in Belfast, the Georgia delegation also met with officials from
Invest Northern Ireland, the country’s economic development arm,
and attended a luncheon hosted by the University of Ulster. The delegation
also toured the Titanic Quarter, an area of ongoing economic renaissance
in downtown Belfast. The visit concluded with a large reception at Stormont
hosted by William Hay, Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly.
The Georgia governor’s visit followed the announcement last March
that the Georgia Institute of Technology will establish a research enterprise
in Athlone, County Galway. Over the next five years, the Irish operation
plans to build up a portfolio of research programs and collaborations
with industry valued in excess of $24 million, and at full operation,
it will employ 50 highly qualified researchers.
lreland’s president, Mary McAleese, who was in Atlanta in April
to visit the Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, noted
the well-established ties Georgia has to Ireland, North and South. In
a Rotary Club luncheon address she drew attention to the fact that Atlanta-based
companies United Parcel Service, Equifax Corp., and Coca-Cola all have
“European-focused operations” in Ireland. She also underscored
the well-established personal ties:
“As I’m sure you all know, Coca-Cola’s CEO Neville Isdell
and Irial Finan, one of the company’s executive vice presidents,
were both born on the island of Ireland, and Don Keough, the legendary
former president of the company, recently reconnected with his ancestral
roots and became an Irish citizen, so you’ll excuse me for expressing
a particular sense of pride in their achievements,” she said.
|
