Ireland's Presidency of the European Union next year offers "a huge opportunity" to boost Irish exports to central and eastern Europe, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Cowen, has said.
The Republic of Ireland currently does less trade with the 10 countries joining the EU next May than any other existing member-state, he said.
"It is therefore a huge opportunity for Ireland to use its \ Presidency as a means to gain some ground in that sphere," he told Irish ambassadors.
Later he told The Irish Times: "Clearly we have a lot of ground to make up. That means more jobs at home and more exports abroad."
The diplomats, based throughout the EU and the accession states, are in Dublin for several days of preparations ahead of Ireland's six-month term at the helm of the EU.
Executives from An Bord Bia, Enterprise Ireland and other State agencies briefed the diplomats on efforts to increase sales to the accession states.
Describing the EU presidency's workload as "gruelling", Mr Cowen said it offered the Government the opportunity to explain to voters that the EU was "a benign global player".
"The Presidency offers Ireland the chance to show where the European Union stands in the world, and where Ireland stands in Europe," he said.
Ireland's relationship towards the EU should not be one of "unquestioning fealty, or scepticism", but rather decided on its overall benefits for the country.
"There is a balance that has to be struck. There is no question that our continued membership is not only in our national interest, it has brought us to where we are today," Mr Cowen said.
Ireland's place in the EU had helped it to benefit from major foreign direct investment, 90 per cent of which is spent in the EU, the US, Japan and some of China's coastal provinces.
"The other 10 per cent goes to the rest of the world. It would be helpful to get people to realise how fortunate we are to live where we are, part of the most successful multilateral organisation the world has ever devised," he said.
However, the benefits had to be explained properly. "Politics is about communicating with ordinary punters. But we have to do it in an interesting way," the Minister said.
Along with most other people, he said, he valued the country's independence, although Ireland could not operate alone in an interdependent world.
The European Union's "stereotypical image as a red-tape-laden bureaucracy" did not accord with the facts on the ground, the Minister told the ambassadors.
Spending €26 billion annually on development aid, the EU is the world's most generous donor to Third World countries. "It is a force for good," he declared.
The final agenda for the Irish Presidency will not be known until it becomes clear whether the inter-governmental conference will end before Christmas.
The Government still has outstanding issues with the draft European Union constitution, notably on taxation, common foreign and security policy and justice issues.
On taxation, the Government is determined to ensure that votes on all tax debates should require the unanimous support of all member-states.
It also wanted to guarantee that Irish troops joined peacekeeping missions only on the decision of the Government, and a vote by the Oireachtas, Mr Cowen ssaid.
In addition, further talks would be necessary to ensure that citizens retained rights under common-law traditions.
