merrion street

Taoiseach Enda Kenny will pay his first official visit to Germany tomorrow. On arrival in Berlin, he will travel to the Chancellor’s Office for a working lunch. The Taoiseach will brief the Chancellor on the progress being made by Ireland in building a sustainable economic recovery through enhanced competitiveness and export-led growth. The Taoiseach and Chancellor will also discuss the latest developments in the Euro zone and other key issues on the current EU agenda. The lunch will be followed by a joint press conference in the Chancellor’s Office.

In the early afternoon, the Taoiseach, introduced by Finance Minister Schäuble, will address the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung on the theme: Ireland’s road to recovery: reform, growth, jobs. The Taoiseach will then travel to Frankfurt for an Irish-German business event. Ireland’s two-way trade with Germany increased significantly last year while investment and tourism links have also strengthened in line with the two countries’ current economic recovery.

Speaking today the Taoiseach said:

My visit to Berlin and Frankfurt will be a timely opportunity to highlight the positive aspects of the Irish story to the German Government and the German people. We have travelled a difficult road and Irish people continue to make huge sacrifices, but these are now paying dividends. Our economy will grow again this year by about 1%, with our export sector driving our recovery. The journey ahead will be challenging but we are determined to regain our financial sovereignty as quickly as possible. Ireland and Germany remain strong partners, economically and within the European Union. We value the German commitment to Europe and Germany’s support for Ireland.