President begins state visit to Spain

PRESIDENT MARY McAleese begins a three-day State visit to Spain today in an attempt to consolidate the strong relationship between the countries and build trade and educational links.

The highlight of the visit comes this afternoon when the President will be guest of honour at a state lunch hosted by King Juan Carlos in the Royal Palace, Madrid.

Later today Mrs McAleese will receive the key of Madrid at a ceremony during which she will thank the city’s mayor, Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón, for agreeing to illuminate the iconic Puerta de Alcalá green to mark St Patrick’s Day.

To begin her visit Mrs McAleese will give an address on the state of the Irish economy at the New Economic Forum this morning.

As Spain is Ireland’s eighth-largest trading partner – with merchandise trade between the countries valued at €4.04 billion in 2009 – the President will be keen to stress that the Irish economy is “open for business”.

Mrs McAleese will be accompanied by Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney, as well as the heads of Enterprise Ireland, the Food Board, Tourism Ireland and the IDA.

The trade mission will seek to improve bilateral ties in the pharmaceuticals, food, tourism and education sectors.

The chief executives of private companies active in the Spanish market, including Aer Lingus and Primark, will also take part in the visit.

Tonight the President will attend an Irish community reception, with more than 350 guests, featuring a joint performance by acclaimed Galician piper Carlos Nuñez and traditional Irish musicians.

Tomorrow she will hold bilateral talks with Spanish president José Luís Rodriguez Zapatero and the president of the congress of deputies.

Later that evening Mrs McAleese will receive the Medal of Honour at the University of Alcalá de Henares and attend the inauguration of a new Irish studies programme run in conjunction with the NUI Maynooth.

Other engagements include attending a master class in Irish food hosted by Bord Bia and prepared by Spanish chef Mario Sandoval, followed by a visit to a bilingual school in Madrid.

The President will spend the final day of her visit in Barcelona, where she will attend the Sagrada Família cathedral before meeting the president of the government of Catalunya, Artur Mas.

She will address an Enterprise Ireland pharmaceuticals workshop and meet members of the Irish community at a reception in the city hall before returning to Dublin on Wednesday evening.