Congratulatory Remarks by Ms Sue van der Merwe, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, on the Occasion of the Celebration of St. Patrick's Day, Waterkloof, 16 March 2006

Your Excellency, Deputy Prime Minister Mary Harney
Ambassadors and High Commissioners
Members of the Diplomatic Corps
Reverend Fathers and Sisters
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen

I am delighted to welcome Her Excellency, Mary Harney, who arrived just this morning to South Africa. Deputy Prime Minister we are privileged to have you in our midst. We look forward to you sharing with us your considerable knowledge and experience as we engage in bilateral talks over the next few days with our Deputy President Mlambo-Ngcuka.

We are also glad that you will be representing Ireland at this year's St. Patrick's celebrations in South Africa. On behalf of the South African Government, a warm welcome to our shores.

Our countries share close bonds and a warm friendship. We have much in common similar values, mutual aspirations and a shared outlook. The Irish holds a very special place in the hearts of many South Africans and have always been regarded as a symbol of resistance and resilience in the face of adversity. South Africans admire your strength of identity, character and culture that has produced great writers who have made their mark in world literature.

In a speech delivered on the occasion of the State Visit to South Africa by President Mary Robinson, President Mandela neatly captured this sentiment when he expressed the view that:

We admire your determination to heal your country and to develop a new patriotism in Ireland based on tolerance, openness and acceptance. These are also aspirations, which the government and the people of South Africa have embraced and are making a reality.

He went on further to say:

South Africa would like to reiterate its support for Ireland, especially in the resolution of the Northern Ireland situation. We would not presume to offer any solutions, but we make available any experience of our own that may contribute towards a resolution of the problem by peaceful means.

It is therefore not surprising that the Irish people provided enormous support to our struggle against apartheid and this is deeply imprinted in the consciousness of many South Africans. This includes the unyielding support of successive Irish Governments, the work of the Irish Anti-Apartheid Movement, the example set by the Dunne Stores strikers. Let us not forget the Irish Religious Community, whose selfless humanitarian and educational work during the dark days of apartheid has made an immeasurable difference to so many in need.

Thus as we celebrate St. Patrick's Day, it is perhaps appropriate to also reflect on his own adversities and the values he stood for. In spite of being sold into slavery and persecuted for his beliefs, in the end the human spirit triumphed. Today, St. Patrick's Day is celebrated worldwide as a symbol for new beginnings. The ancient Druids associated the shamrock with the coming of spring and the rebirth of the natural world. Thus we find many parallels with the history of the political liberation of our own nations. Against this background, one might argue that we have entered what President Mbeki has called an "Age of Hope" in which we are waging a new global struggle to create a better tomorrow and leave a legacy of a world that is just and equal.

It puts on all of us a responsibility to do everything possible to advance the interests of the South, within the context of North-South Dialogue and Co-operation. It also includes continuing WTO negotiations to create an equitable global trading system as well as the urgent challenge to reform the United Nations, including the Security Council.

Ireland is a much-valued ally of Africa within the EU and on the international stage and we would like to acknowledge the very important role that Ireland played during its EU Presidency in 2004 in supporting Africa's new agenda and in speeding up the establishment of the African Peace Facility. Ireland is also playing an important role in peacekeeping in Africa. We are very pleased to have had a number of opportunities to partner with you to advance peace on the continent. The Government of South Africa warmly welcomes the announcement by Prime Minister Bertie Ahern last year that Ireland will reach the 0,7% ODA target by 2012.

Let us take this opportunity to congratulate His Excellency, Ambassador Gerry Corr and his staff for the really excellent work that they are doing in building Irish-South African relations. During his term of duty in South Africa, he has worked hard to ensure that we sustain the momentum of our bilateral relations as well as co-operation between our countries at multilateral fora.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Please raise your glasses and join me in a toast to the health and prosperity of Her Excellency, President Mary McAleese and that of His Excellency, President Thabo Mbeki and to the continued excellent relations and good friendship between the wonderful people of Ireland and South Africa!

Happy St. Patrick's Day.