RIYADH: Irish Ambassador Tony Cotter underlined on Tuesday the strong bilateral ties binding Ireland and Saudi Arabia.

On the occasion of his country's National Day celebration, the Irish envoy said: “There is a longstanding and very positive relationship between Ireland and Saudi Arabia” and referred to the recent visits by Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny as well as other ministers including Education Minister Ruairi Quinn, Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney and Trade Minister Richard Bruton "who have visited the Kingdom twice in the last two years."

“On the other hand, former Education Minister Dr. Khaled Al-Anqari also visited Ireland,” he said. He noted that over the years, such bilateral ties have grown from strength to strength as the two countries expanded their collaboration in education, culture, the economy, tourism, agriculture and trade among others.

“There are 3,000 Saudi students studying in Ireland across a diverse and comprehensive range of third-level courses at our universities and colleges,” he said.

These include the Royal College of Surgeons, Royal College of Physicians, Trinity College, University College Dublin, University College Cork, among others.

He said that bilateral trade has increased by 20 percent year-on-year for the last two years, and was in excess of SR6 billion in 2015.

Ambassador Cotter said that “our National Day is a time of celebration in Ireland and for all those of Irish descent and affinity in Saudi Arabia and other countries.”

“This year, Ireland is commemorating the Easter Rising of 1916. It is a key moment in our path to independence. Ireland 2016, the program of commemorative events, is well under way. This includes hundreds of events overseas that form part of a ‘Global and Diaspora Program,’” he said. He said that Ireland’s economic recovery “has gained strong momentum in the past 12 months based on solid growth and job creation.”

“Ireland is the fastest growing economy in the European Union for three years in a row,” he said.

He said that export sectors also recorded strong growth in 2015, with preliminary figures showing that the value of exported goods was up 20 percent in 2015 compared to 2014.

“As a small open economy, Ireland relies on external demand and international markets for sustainable and continued growth. Exports and manufacturing outputs are now at all-time highs,” he said.

In 2014, the last full year for which figures are available, the value of exports exceeded 215 billion euros, equivalent to over 110 percent of Ireland’s GDP.

“Strong growth has been seen in pharma and life sciences, chemicals, ICT and software, construction, and agri-food and agri-tech,” he said.

He said foreign direct investment continues to be a key contributor to Ireland’s economic development and growth. The Irish envoy said that Ireland has maintained its position as the best country in the Euro Zone for doing business in Forbes magazine rankings in 2015, coming in overall 4th in the world.

On tourism, Cotter said that Tourism Ireland will be working hard in all key overseas markets, including Saudi Arabia, to promote Ireland’s holiday experiences and highlight the quality of service and the genuine warmth of welcome offered to visitors.

“Ireland is very accessible from Saudi Arabia. Riyadh is approximately a 90-minute flight from Dubai or Abu Dhabi, and both cities are served by 29 direct fights to Dublin per week,” he said.

He said Ireland’s international education sector generates significant economic benefits and enriches “our social, cultural and intellectual life.”