Assembly's Top Team Invite NY Mayor To Belfast

The NI Assembly's top team, the First and Deputy First Ministers are today making all the right connections by meeting senior figures from Wall Street - with President Bush scheduled to greet the pair later in the week.

The previously unlikely duo, DUP leader, Ian Paisley and Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness are in New York giving the 'City That Never Sleeps a wake-up call' that "Northern Ireland is open for business".

The faces of the Province's joint political leaders were also due to be up in lights at the worlds' most famous junction — on the massive screen in Times Square.

Another highlight on the opening day of their five-day first joint visit to the United States, will see the veteran DUP politician and McGuinness – a former IRA boss - welcomed by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Already, First Minister Ian Paisley and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness have invited the New York City Mayor to lead a business delegation to Northern Ireland.

Today they discussed a wide range of issues at New York City Hall, from job creation, affordable housing and combating poverty.

Ian Paisley said: "This has been an extremely worthwhile meeting. Mayor Bloomberg has shared with us some of the city’s success stories such as the significant reduction in crime and job creation.

"We can learn lessons from such a city. The Deputy First Minister and I have invited Mayor Bloomberg to lead a business delegation to Northern Ireland in the near future which we hope will continue our already strong economic relationship with the US.

"Northern Ireland has entered into a new era where the focus is very much on building economic prosperity. We will take this message to the President when we meet him on Friday," he said.

Martin McGuinness said: "Mayor Bloomberg has support which stretches across the political spectrum and so he has an affinity with the politics of the north of Ireland.

"This has been a very worthwhile meeting and hopefully has gone some way to demonstrate why it is worthwhile for the US to invest with us.

"We look forward to welcoming Mayor Bloomberg and his colleagues to Stormont in the near future," he said.

Meanwhile, the trip is proving to be a busy and demanding schedule opening today with the two at a business breakfast with financial service executives, visiting the New York Stock Exchange on Wall Street and later in the day meeting 25 corporate chief executives.

Mr Paisley and Mr McGuinness then head on Wednesday for Washington, and a round of talks on Capitol Hill before they meet President George Bush in the White House on Friday.

It is the first opportunity for Americans to see the former bitter rivals who now share the senior posts in a restored devolved government.

Mr Paisley said the trip "provides an opportunity to engage at the highest level with US business and political leaders. Northern Ireland is open for business ... we have never been in a better position to boost our economic prospects."

Mr McGuinness added: "We would issue an open invitation to businesses here to come and see at first hand the attractions that we can offer in terms of the skills our people have to offer and the fact that we are an ideal location to assist your business with international growth."

(BMcC)