George Bush and Gordon Brown will be encouraged to take part in an investment conference in Belfast next year to woo American companies, the Rev Ian Paisley said today.
The Stormont First Minister and the Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness were preparing for a round of meetings today on Capitol Hill in Washington, with key Congressmen and Senators.
They insisted their week-long visit to the United States to attract businesses was reaping dividends. With Mr Paisley and Mr McGuinness due to meet President Bush at the Whitehouse tomorrow, the Democratic Unionist leader said they would like him to visit Northern Ireland again during the investment conference. "It is a matter for the President," the First Minister said.
"I would like to think that the President and our own Prime Minister will come because they helped to sponsor this. "But we have to go with what we have got knowing the political situation at home, knowing the political situation here I am sure that they have a lot of calls on their time but still it would be a tremendous boost if they came."
He quipped: "If they don't come and we make a tremendous success of it, then there will be no glory given to them." Mr McGuinness said Stormont Ministers have found, during their visit to New York and Washington, that doors were opening for them in business and the highest political circles.
"I think this is a very, very exciting time both to be in politics in the north of Ireland and to be here as a manifestation of the transformations that have taken place," the Sinn Fein Deputy First Minister said.
"It is exciting to be here to urge people who have given huge support over the years to continue with their interest. "It is not just the business community that we want to help us. We have the endorsement of the Whitehouse in terms of the investment conference. We have (President Bush's advisor Northern Ireland) Paula Dobriansky working very hard to make that a success and I have no doubt that the political leaders that we will meet today, the Congress and Senators will be very, very anxious to help us in the time ahead."
Mr Paisley added that already they were receiving tangible evidence that American businessmen were keen to set up in Northern Ireland. The First and Deputy First Ministers will today attend a lunch hosted by the Friends of Ireland Group in the US Congress, hosted by Democrat Richie Neal and Republican Jim Walsh. They will also meet Senator Edward Kennedy and US Commerce Secretary Richard Gutierrez.
PA