The turnout of senior US executives at this week’s investment conference in Belfast is a major vote of confidence in what is being done at Stormont, Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness said today.
As the Executive prepared to celebrate one year of devolution this week, Mr McGuinness paid tribute to cabinet colleagues for what they had achieved.
And he also paid tribute to First Minister Ian Paisley who will step down as DUP leader this month and from the Executive next month.
"I am very optimistic about the future," the Sinn Fein MP said. "The fact that we have so many important people coming from the United States - twice more than was initially expected - clearly is a major vote of confidence
in what is happening here.
"People with very busy schedules are taking time out to look very seriously at what we have to offer. That is very encouraging indeed at a time of economic difficulty in the United States."
Last month Mr McGuinness and Dr Paisley visited New York to hear the city's comptroller William Thompson announce the creation of the Emerald Fund - a major US investment package which could be worth hundreds of
millions of pounds.
Four New York city pension funds are to initially invest a total of $150 million in infrastructural projects, with the funds potentially rising five times that amount.
In another boost, Minister for Finance Brian Cowen also announced plans to allow companies involved in the Irish Financial Services Centre in Dublin to expand their operations north of the border.
The power sharing executive is hoping to land some of the biggest names in US business and other high value jobs with this week's conference which will feature contributions from New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Mr Cowen.
PA