Ireland wants to further deepen its strong economic, cultural ties with India

The Irish government wants to further deepen its strong economic and cultural relationship with India as part of its renewed Asia Pacific strategy launched this week, Deputy Prime Minister Micheal Martin has said.

The Irish government wants to further deepen its strong economic and cultural relationship with India as part of its renewed Asia Pacific strategy launched this week, Deputy Prime Minister Micheal Martin has said.

Ireland’s Asia Pacific Strategy had a target of EUROS 100 billion in trade with the region by 2025, which has been exceeded two years ahead of time.

“We have a strong economic relationship but also a strong cultural relationship (with India),” Mr. Martin told reporters in Dublin on Tuesday.

“We want to deepen that and we're launching our Asia Pacific strategy to support our continued ambitions to expand across Asia Pacific, which will fuel economic growth into the future across the world,” Mr. Martin, also Ireland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence, said.

The Tanaiste, as the Deputy Prime Minister is known in Ireland, swapped roles with the country’s Indian-origin Prime Minister (Taoiseach), Leo Varadkar, as part of their coalition arrangement at the end of last year.

In his role as Minister for Foreign Affairs, he is focussed on deploying the country’s Global Ireland strategy and renewed the country’s commitment to the Asia Pacific region within that strand this week.

India is a key aspect of the renewed Asia Pacific strategy, building on a new Consulate General in Mumbai as part of efforts to expand Ireland’s footprint in the region.