DUBLIN, March 11 (Xinhua) -- Foreign direct investment (FDI) will be key to Ireland's recovery from the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, said Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin on Thursday.
Micheal made the remarks in a press statement released by IDA Ireland, a state agency responsible for attracting FDI into Ireland.
In the statement, IDA announced that it will organize a series of virtual roundtable meetings with its clients during Saint Patrick's week, a week around Saint Patrick's Day, Ireland's National Day which falls on March 17 every year.
Irish prime minister and other senior government officials will be hosting these roundtable meetings with IDA clients in the United States, Europe and Asia, said the statement, adding that they will discuss current investment conditions in Ireland, its COVID-19 response and future investment opportunities.
During the same week, IDA will also launch a global marketing campaign aimed at encouraging business decision makers to choose Ireland for foreign direct investment, said the statement.
The campaign will include running advertisements on digital, print and broadcast platforms across the globe on Saint Patrick's Day, it said.
FDI plays a vital role in the Irish economy. Foreign-funded companies directly provide over 250,000 jobs in Ireland and account for 67 percent of all exports from the country, according to IDA.
Currently a number of leading Chinese companies such as Huawei, TikTok and Bank of China have set up their presence in Ireland.
TikTok alone has provided over 1,000 jobs in Ireland by setting up a European data center in the country, according to information from the website of the Chinese embassy in Ireland. Enditem