Senior Government ministers will promote the upcoming US/Northern Ireland economic investment conference when they travel to the United States to celebrate St Patrick's Day, the Minister for Foreign Affairs said yesterday.

Dermot Ahern says he has asked Irish Ministers to make investing in Northern Ireland and in an all-island economy a key part of their message to the US business community later this month.

Mr Ahern says the Government is committed to giving the North's executive all the support it can to make the US/Northern Ireland investment conference, due to take place in Belfast in May, a success.

Speaking in Dublin yesterday at Public Affairs Ireland's all-island business summit, Mr Ahern said both the Republic and Northern Ireland faced similar challenges to respond to the increasing pace and intensity of global competition. "By working together we can build our strengths in areas such as infrastructure, innovation and skills, trade, tourism and investment promotion."

The North's Regional Development Minister, Conor Murphy, said there were wider opportunities to be gained by the North in developing strong links to neighbours, especially on a cross-Border basis.