There are “so many opportunities” for cross-border co-operation in the northwest, Simon Harris has said during his first visit to Derry as Taoiseach on Monday.
Mr Harris was in the city to meet political, civic society and community leaders.
The visit, which included a meeting with Mayor Seenoi Barr in the Guildhall, was billed as an opportunity to “celebrate ongoing projects benefiting from Government of Ireland support”, including the Wild Atlantic Way/Causeway Coastal Route branding collaboration.
The Taoiseach was also scheduled to deliver the John Hume and Thomas P O’Neill Chair in Peace lecture at Ulster University before visiting the site of the new teaching and student services building at the campus.
Speaking to reporters on the Walls of Derry on Monday afternoon, Mr Harris said he was “delighted” to be in the city.
He said: “I have a busy day of civic and political engagements. I really want to thank the Mayor of Derry for the warm welcome here to Guildhall, an important opportunity to talk about a number of the areas in which we’re seeing cross-border co-operation.
“The northwest region on this island has so much potential and with projects like the A5 and our determination to commit 600 million euro to that, and also then with the Ulster University expansion here in the city, there are so many opportunities.
“When I was minister for further and higher education, I was very determined to work with Ulster University to expand the footprint of Derry in this city from an educational point of view, but also to expand the opportunities for the northwest to collaborate when it comes to education.
“We now have the Atlantic Technological University on one side of the border. We have Ulster University in Derry on the other, and the potential for them to do more together for the betterment of people, peace and prosperity, is there for all to see.”
Mr Harris added: “I’m really honoured to have been invited to deliver the John Hume and Tip O’Neill Memorial Lecture and look forward to having an opportunity during that lecture to reflect on the progress we’ve made, but also on the journey we need to travel in terms of reconciliation.
“And I should also say this: I’m delighted to be here in Derry, delighted to be in Northern Ireland at a time when we can truthfully say we have seen a real improvement of relations north, south and east and west.
“I know ‘reset’ has been the word of the month, but for good reason.
“We had a great North South Ministerial Council in Dublin only last Friday.
“The British Prime Minister, I had the honoor of hosting him less than two weeks ago in Dublin, and we have a lot of work to do together now to fully harness the potential of the Good Friday Agreement.”
