The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Andrews, will open Ireland House in central Madrid today, where the Irish Embassy and Department of Agriculture offices will share premises with the trade, food, tourism and sea fisheries boards.
Ireland's "single stop shop" on the Spanish capital's main Castellana boulevard looks out over the heart of Madrid's business world. It occupies two floors of an elegant, prize-winning glass and steel building, which also houses the offices of the European Union and the European Parliament.
The entrance is dominated by an imposing steel and bronze monolith topped by a bronze harp, a work of art which has already attracted favourable comment in the Spanish press.
The Minister is to meet the Spanish Prime Minister, Mr Jose Maria Aznar, and the Foreign Minister, Mr Abel Matutes, to exchange views on economic, political and European affairs.
Mr Andrews's visit will also be the occasion for a special meeting of the Spain Ireland Business Club, at a seminar on "Developing the Irish-Spanish Business Relationship".
The club is the brainchild of the Ambassador, Mr Richard Ryan, who founded it in 1995. From modest beginnings it has grown rapidly and now has 95 leading businessmen on its list of members.
After today's seminar the members will be treated to a luncheon of Irish foods imported for the occasion. Along with tourism, food is one of top categories in Ireland's trade with Spain, which last year came to nearly £1 billion.