Employer and trade union leaders have called on the Irish and British governments, and Northern Ireland's political parties, to redouble their efforts to resolve the current political impasse and allow the local economy to achieve its full potential.
They also welcomed the progress that has been made in the creation of North-South institutions, which they said would help make both of the island's economies more competitive.
The call came yesterday, after the successful conclusion of negotiations between the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and the Joint Business Council of IBEC and the Confederation of British Industry to establish a joint strategy to create a new business environment in the light of the Belfast Agreement and future EU developments.
In a joint statement yesterday, the ICTU general secretary, Mr Peter Cassells, and the director of the IBEC-CBI joint council, Mr John Kenna, said they would be "seeking to develop the full potential offered by the new structures".
While the immediate priorities related to the Business and Trade Development Body, tourism and EU special programmes, the two men added that "we have agreed to embark on a programme of examining other areas of co-operation on both a North-South and East-West basis, including transport, health, education and the environment."
In a separate statement, the IBEC-CBI joint council outlined its future strategy for the five years beginning January 2000.
Among the key issues it identified for business, North and South, were a common transport strategy, a review of the energy sector, information technology developments and the growth of international traded services, including tourism.