ADDRESS BY THE PRESIDENT OF IRELAND, HER EXCELLENCY MARY ROBINSON, AT AN OFFICIAL DINNER
ADDRESS AT AN OFFICIAL DINNER HOSTED IN HER HONOUR BY PRESIDENT FREI OF CHILE
Mr. President, Distinguished Guests
I am honoured to be the first President of Ireland to pay an official visit to Chile. I am particularly pleased that my visit takes place at a most propitious time in the history of our two countries.
Chile's return to democracy following a long period of military rule was a major milestone in the democratisation process which has now gathered such momentum in Latin America. The skilful manner in which this difficult transition was negotiated and consolidated reflects great credit on those concerned. The Chilean experience is an important symbol of the way in which Latin America both perceives itself and is perceived in today's world.
Despite the historic role played by a son of Ireland, Bernardo O'Higgins, the distance that separates us has regrettably, if perhaps inevitably, limited the scope for the development of relations between our two countries over the years. We, in Ireland, nevertheless, have long felt a profound sense of solidarity with the Chilean people in the difficulties they have experienced. It was, therefore, with great satisfaction that we welcomed the return of democratic structures and full freedom of expression to Chile.
In the economic field Chile and Ireland have achieved remarkable progress in recent years. There are, indeed, some interesting parallels between the strategies for economic development pursued by our two countries. Like Chile, Ireland is an attractive location for international investment and has achieved high sustained growth rates through the development of an export-oriented economy. Both countries have managed to diversify significantly the range of products which they export and the markets for which these are destined. On a bilateral level I hope that this will open up possibilities for the further expansion of our trade and I will be speaking to prominent Chilean business people about this during my visit.
In Ireland, for the first time in a generation, we now have peace on the island. With the achievement of peace, we also have a unique opportunity to reach a new partnership between the two traditions in Ireland.
The essential keys to such a new accommodation are agreement and consent. Last month, the Irish and British Governments issued their considered view of where agreement might be found in a collective talks process involving the two Governments and the Northern Ireland parties. The Framework for Agreement sets down the possible shape of an overall accommodation which, in the view of the two Governments, would give honourable expression to the rights and values of both traditions in Northern Ireland.
We are indebted to Chile for its initiative in proposing the convening of the recent World Summit on Social Development. This has provided a valuable focus for drawing the attention of the international community to social problems, especially poverty, and underlining the need to place the welfare of the individual at the centre of our social strategies. We applaud the efforts of your Government in addressing at national level the dislocating consequences which are the result of the major transitions now taking place in the world economy.
I am aware of Chile's interest in the concept of regional integration in Latin America and in participation in structures for international economic co-operation in the Americas generally and in the Pacific Region. Ireland and her partners in the European Union welcome the moves towards closer co-operation and integration in Latin America. We believe that they will give Latin America a new importance and enhance its role in world affairs.
Ireland's membership of the European Union is rooted in the understanding that the Union is the cornerstone of political and economic stability in Europe. The Union is an example of the positive and dynamic effects of integration and of the advantages of pooling the talents and resources of different peoples in a common enterprise.
Ireland has derived considerable economic and social benefits from participation in the Union. For a country with a small domestic market and which depends on export growth as the basis for economic expansion, the most obvious advantage has been unhindered access to a common market of some 370 million people. This has facilitated our efforts to diversify our export markets and has enhanced the attractiveness of Ireland as a location for inward investment.
Membership has also broadened and strengthened the range of our international contacts and enabled our views to be taken into account in a grouping of major influence in world affairs. Ireland's participation in this grouping enables us to pursue more effectively, in co-operation with our European partners, our traditional foreign policy aims of promoting a stable, peaceful and prosperous international environment with structures based on the rule of law and respect for human rights and democratic values. We are committed to working with the rest of the international community in pursuit of these goals, in particular through the UN system to which I know Chile also attaches the highest importance.
Coming from the country of writers such as James Joyce, Samuel Beckett and William Butler Yeats, I cannot but feel at home in the country of such famed poets as Gabriela Mistral and Pablo Neruda. I look forward to deepening the cultural links also, and I hope that my visit will stimulate greater mutual awareness between our countries and give renewed impetus to the further development of our bilateral relations.