North South Co-operation "essential" says Cowen

According to the Taoiseach, Brian Cowen, economic cooperation between Northern Ireland and the Republic can play a major role in protecting jobs and overturning the effects of recession. Mr. Cowen, who was writing in the 2010 edition of the Journal of Cross Border Studies, highlighted that the tougher economic conditions in recent times had served to underline the benefits of north-south collaboration and the need to strengthen trade links.

"Difficult times reinforce the logic of the island of Ireland economy, because again we're far better working together than going out to compete in that big bad world separately." he said. "We should concentrate on increasing the volume of trade between north and south. This maintains and safeguards jobs. We're still seeing a lot of cross-border investments going on, with companies having a presence north and south, and that's good and natural and helps to overcome the distortions of the past."

The Irish Prime Minister added: "We need to recognise the potential of mutually beneficial north-south economic cooperation which can be achieved in the immediate term. This is a positive pathway which can play an obvious contribution to getting us out of recession if people approach it in the right way."

Andy Pollak, Director of the Centre for Cross Border Studies which publishes the journal, said the top politicians in both countries had recognised the benefits of cross-border trade to the economy. "In the last 12 months both the First Minister of Northern Ireland Peter Robinson, who was interviewed in our last edition, and the Taoiseach Brian Cowen have gone on record with us to highlight the payoffs which increased cross-border cooperation can bring for everyone on the island of Ireland."

The 2010 edition of The Journal of Cross Border Studies in Ireland was launched by Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Micheál Martin on 21 April in Dublin. It can be downloaded by visiting  www.crossborder.ie/events/journal5.php