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Irish President Michael D Higgins receives Guard of Honour at Guildhall banquet Irish President Michael D Higgins hails UK trade links at Guildhall banquet
(about 2 hours later)
Irish President Michael D Higgins has been given a Guard of Honour reception at London's Guildhall on the second day of his historic visit to the UK. The Irish president has highlighted the importance of trade links between Britain and Ireland as he addressed a banquet at London's Guildhall.
Mr Higgins is due to address 700 guests at a banquet hosted by the Lord Mayor of the City of London, Fiona Woolf. Michael D Higgins was speaking on the second day of his UK state visit.
The event is aimed at promoting trade links between the UK and Ireland. He said the two nations shared 1bn euros (£825m) in trade every week and he urged even greater economic co-operation between the UK and Ireland.
Earlier, he had lunch with Prime Minister David Cameron at 10 Downing Street and met Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg at Buckingham Palace. He said the Republic of Ireland was "deeply grateful" for the UK's help during its recent financial crisis.
'Trust'
As he arrived for the evening banquet, Mr Higgins was given a Guard of Honour reception outside the Guildhall, the ceremonial centre of the City of London.
He told his audience: "The intertwined histories of Ireland and Britain have indeed known great turbulence, but we meet at a time when the relationship between us has never been more friendly or respectful."
He added that the UK was currently Ireland's largest export market, and the Republic was the fifth largest export market for the UK.
Mr Higgins thanked the UK for its recent financial assistance to the Republic of Ireland and said the Irish economy was now returning to growth and "winning back the trust of our people and of investors".
The Irish government received a £3.25bn loan from the UK, shortly after it accepted an international bail-out from the European Union and International Monetary Fund (IMF).
"In responding to our recent economic crisis, Ireland received significant support from our partners in Europe and, on a bilateral basis, from our friends here in the United Kingdom, for which we are deeply grateful" Mr Higgins said.
The president said Irish exports were now "significantly higher than their pre-crisis peak".
"Most importantly, we have gone from losing 1,600 jobs a week during the peak of the crisis to now creating 1,200 jobs a week," he added.
The Guildhall banquet attended by about 700 guests, was hosted Lord Mayor of the City of London, Fiona Woolf.
Earlier, Mr Higgins had a private lunch with Prime Minister David Cameron at 10 Downing Street and met Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg at Buckingham Palace.
The president also met Mayor of London Boris Johnson at a youth leadership event London's City Hall.The president also met Mayor of London Boris Johnson at a youth leadership event London's City Hall.
Mr Higgins addressed British and Irish teenagers at the workshop entitled Taking Charge of Change Together.Mr Higgins addressed British and Irish teenagers at the workshop entitled Taking Charge of Change Together.
Writing on his Twitter account, Mr Johnson said: "A joy to welcome Irish President Michael D Higgins to City Hall. Discovered we share a love of Horace and Aeschylus."Writing on his Twitter account, Mr Johnson said: "A joy to welcome Irish President Michael D Higgins to City Hall. Discovered we share a love of Horace and Aeschylus."
Mr Higgins, the ninth Irish president, is a poet and academic as well as a former arts minister in the Dublin government.Mr Higgins, the ninth Irish president, is a poet and academic as well as a former arts minister in the Dublin government.
In the first engagement of the day, the president and his wife Sabina were met by the Duke of York, colonel-in-chief of the Royal Irish Regiment at Windsor Castle. His day began at at Windsor Castle, where the president and his wife Sabina were met by the Duke of York, colonel-in-chief of the Royal Irish Regiment.
They viewed the colours - regimental flags - of disbanded Irish regiments.They viewed the colours - regimental flags - of disbanded Irish regiments.
The presidential couple looked over the colours of the Royal Irish Regiment, the Royal Dublin Fusiliers, the Connaught Rangers, the Prince of Wales' Leinster Regiment (Royal Canadians), and the Royal Munster Fusiliers.The presidential couple looked over the colours of the Royal Irish Regiment, the Royal Dublin Fusiliers, the Connaught Rangers, the Prince of Wales' Leinster Regiment (Royal Canadians), and the Royal Munster Fusiliers.
The regimental flags were given pride of place in a stairway entrance to Windsor Palace, so that everyone could see them, on the insistence of King George V in 1922.The regimental flags were given pride of place in a stairway entrance to Windsor Palace, so that everyone could see them, on the insistence of King George V in 1922.
The colours, which honour the service of Irish soldiers in the First World War and other conflicts, have never been moved from their permanent setting - except when the 1992 Windsor fire threatened to destroy them.The colours, which honour the service of Irish soldiers in the First World War and other conflicts, have never been moved from their permanent setting - except when the 1992 Windsor fire threatened to destroy them.
"Needs must, we took them out," the Duke of York told the couple."Needs must, we took them out," the Duke of York told the couple.
Mr Higgins' visit is the first state visit to the UK by an Irish head of state.Mr Higgins' visit is the first state visit to the UK by an Irish head of state.
Before lunch with Mr Cameron, Mr Higgins met Irish members of staff at University College Hospital in London. Before lunch with Mr Cameron, Mr Higgins met Irish members of NHS staff at University College Hospital in London.
On Tuesday, Mr Higgins addressed both Houses of Parliament and attended a state banquet hosted by the Queen. It was one of a series of engagements highlighting how people from Ireland contribute to everyday British life.
The Windsor Castle banquet on Tuesday night was also attended by Northern Ireland's Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness. Speaking at a business breakfast in London Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny described the state visit of President Higgins as "momentous".
The former IRA leader joined in a toast to the Queen, having said he would "observe all the protocols and civilities".
Mr McGuinness had previously shaken hands with the Queen during her 2012 visit to Northern Ireland.
On Wednesday, he said: "I believe I have the overwhelming support from the people of Ireland for what I did."
Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny welcomed Mr McGuinness' attendance at the banquet and said the Sinn Féin member should have attended a reception for the Queen at Dublin Castle in 2011.
"You cannot have a block of politics anchored to the past that does not let the next generation move ahead," Mr Kenny said.
"It is time to move on and, as President [Bill] Clinton said, finish the job and the job must be finished by the people who have the responsibility."
Mr Kenny welcomed the Queen's endorsement of the suggestion that a member of the British Royal family might attend some of Ireland's independence commemorations.Mr Kenny welcomed the Queen's endorsement of the suggestion that a member of the British Royal family might attend some of Ireland's independence commemorations.
He said these events had to be handled sensitively but he would welcome any royal involvement. He said the centenary events had to be handled sensitively but he would welcome any royal involvement.
He also said he would like to see the Queen pay another visit to Ireland but that was a decision for the British authorities. Mr Higgin's visit comes after the Queen became the first British monarch to visit the Republic of Ireland three years ago.
Speaking at a business breakfast in London, Mr Kenny described the visit of President Higgins as "momentous". Mr Kenny also said he would like to see the Queen pay another visit to Ireland but that was a decision for the British authorities.
His four-day trip comes after the Queen became the first British monarch to visit the Republic of Ireland three years ago.
During his speech in the Palace of Westminster on Tuesday afternoon, Mr Higgins spoke of his country's "deep and enduring" friendship with Britain.
He said both countries could take "immense pride" in their work towards peace in Northern Ireland.
Mr Higgins spoke of the "pain and sacrifice" associated with Irish independence from the UK in 1922, which he said had cast a "long shadow across our relations".
"We acknowledge that past but, even more, we wholeheartedly welcome the considerable achievement of today's reality - the mutual respect, friendship and co-operation which exists between our two countries," he said.