Robin Newton MBE MLA

ROBIN Newton, East Belfast DUP MLA and member of the Enterprise, Trade and Investment committee has welcomed the visit of a delegation from Israel to Northern Ireland seeking to encourage the building of trade relations between the two countries.

Robin Newton said,

“It is not often that high ranking political and business delegations come to Northern Ireland and so openly and actively seek business links.  Northern Ireland and Israel have much in common and there is no better way to strengthen the bonds than the promotion of strong trade relations.

Both countries are facing new challenges, identifying their niche in the global marketplace. The delegation led by the Israeli Ambassador Ron Prosor, came with a positive message and local businesses must be in a position to reciprocate.

The lack of Research & Development capacity in Northern Ireland has previously been highlighted. In contrast, Israel invests the highest proportion of GDP in Research and Development in the world, a staggering amount which demonstrates its capability in product and technical innovation. This factor alone demonstrates the value to be accrued by Northern Ireland companies who invest time and resources in developing the relationships which will ultimately prove profitable.

Local companies have an excellent reputation in overseas markets for quality and efficiency. Those who have engaged have found it both financially and strategically rewarding, however, there remains significant potential to grow the base further. It is through initiatives such as Northern Ireland-Israel co-operation that this can be achieved.

I hope that following this initial round of meetings the foundations have been laid which will lead to the building of strong partnerships. For this to happen, businesses must embrace the challenge of seeking new markets and investing for the future, supported by business-friendly economic policies of local public representatives.”