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Agreement with Northern Ireland
19/06/2007
First Minister Alex Salmond today signed a Joint Agreement with the First Minister and Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland, at the end of his two-day visit to Belfast.
The agreement was at Stormont in Belfast by First Minister Alex Salmond and the First Minister of Northern Ireland Dr Ian Paisley and the Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland Martin McGuinness.
The Agreement states:
"At the end of the visit we agreed to work together to enhance mutual understanding and friendship between the people of Scotland and Northern Ireland and consolidate and strengthen the social, educational and cultural relationship between the two countries.
We recognise the strong historical bond that exists between the people of Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Significant links already exist between us in business, education and other spheres. We are agreed that there are further opportunities for co-operation between the two countries in the fields of trade and investment, science and technology, culture, education, agriculture and fisheries, tourism and environment to promote common prosperity and development.
Based on our discussions, we have agreed to work together in the following areas:
- raising understanding of each other's history and culture
- encouraging education programmes and building on existing links between our Universities and Colleges
- collaborate on tourism issues through the tourism group of the British-Irish Council
- renewable energy and its effect on the environment
- to strengthen co-operation between the devolved administrations
We agreed that we would review progress across these areas by the end of this year.
