Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)

On the contrary. The south eastern states of the United States have been designated by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade as a key region for trade opportunities. The Department opened the first consular office in Georgia since 1933. The office supported me throughout the entire visit. The consul general is a very talented and expert person. We do not need to bring numbers in order to make an impact. Our approach is to ensure that the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has a presence on the ground and its representatives do other work besides trade promotion, although this is regarded as a primary task. I was impressed by the number of contacts with business and political contacts that have been established by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade through its consular office. We built on this work as this is a collaborative process. One does not need to have a large staff complement and a wide-ranging entourage to make an impact.

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