Combining Ulster hard sell and blarney, the Rev Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness yesterday posited the merits of Northern Ireland as a top-class investment zone to a group of senior US business people visiting Belfast.

The North's First Minister and Deputy First Minister told the delegation of US bluechip business company managers on the second of their two-day fact-finding mission that American investment would play a crucial role in developing the North's economy.

Dr Paisley and Mr McGuinness, with Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment Nigel Dodds, attended a lunch at the Belfast Harbour Commissioners for the delegation, which was led by the respective US ambassadors to London and Dublin, Robert Tuttle and Thomas Foley.

Asked by The Irish Timesdid he think "bottom line" that this visit would help attract US investment to Northern Ireland, Mr Tuttle replied: "Absolutely."

The visit is part of a series of similar such events on both sides of the Atlantic between now and next May when a major investment conference is scheduled to be held in Belfast. This is hoped to attract some 40 of the US's top chief executives to try to persuade them of the benefits of investing in the North.

Mr Tuttle said that initially it was expected that possibly just four or five companies would participate in this week's trip but in fact senior representatives of 20 large American companies came over on the investment reconnaissance mission.

Mr Tuttle said: "I think that as it stands, Northern Ireland is a great place to invest: [there is a] highly motivated education system, very low turnover, lower real estate costs than other parts of the UK and the Republic.

"I find it a very attractive place in which to invest."

Dr Paisley and Mr McGuinness presented themselves quite cheerfully together at yesterday's lunch, which was viewed as an illustration to the visitors of how the new powersharing dispensation was working.