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Members of the Lithuanian Chamber of Commerce in Ireland,

Representatives of the Dublin City Council,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Thank you for inviting me. I am delighted to have an opportunity to speak at this seminar today.

I wish to acknowledge the efforts of the LCCI in organising this event. Also, I extend my appreciation to the Dublin City Council for hosting this seminar, and also other participants who contributed to it.

Lithuanians in Dublin and Ireland form a dynamic and vibrant community. Lithuanians are hard-working, industrious individuals, indeed, quite a number of them – like those present here today – set up their businesses and look forward to sustaining and expanding them.

Business people are an important pillar of any community. Therefore, I welcome the establishment of the LCCI. It is great to see that their activities produce tangible results, like this seminar.

I believe that LCCI may create a useful platform for networking among Lithuanian business people in Ireland, and interaction between the Lithuanian community and business associations in Dublin and further afield, such as chambers, local authorities, financing and public institutions. This communication could bring knowledge, useful contacts and joint business initiatives to the benefit of all involved.

Also, I would like to encourage business-minded people to explore business links between Lithuania and Ireland. I am convinced that there are plenty of opportunities in trade, investment and promotion of tourism.

Economic fundamentals in Lithuania are sound and the future outlook is positive. Lithuania is an open, free economy, strategically located in the Nordic-Baltic region, with a multilingual and well-educated talent pool.

Lithuania is a services hub in the Northern Europe, and rapidly becoming an innovation centre in the region with world-class business infrastructure and investor-friendly conditions. Lithuania is among top ranking countries in terms of growth of the start-up company sector.

In my view, the information and communication technologies, agri-food sector, transport and logistics are particularly promising sectors for co-operation. Also, Lithuania is an important gateway for EU companies who explore possibilities to do business in Eastern Europe, including Russia, Ukraine and the South Caucasus.

In conclusion, I call on all you and your other business associates come up with your ideas and proposals in the area of fostering economic links between Lithuania and Ireland. I would be happy to discuss these ideas with you, and see how to make practical use of them.

I wish you an insightful discussion today.

Thank you.