New Delhi [India], March 19 (ANI): Ireland underscored its deepening of economic and cultural ties with India, with senior government representatives as the country celebrated St. Patrick's Day with engagements here in the national capital aimed at strengthening international partnerships.

Speaking during the outreach, Ireland's Attorney General, Rossa Fanning, emphasised that India remains a key partner for Ireland across trade, education, and people-to-people connections.

Highlighting the scale of engagement, Fanning noted that around 100,000 Indian citizens currently live and work in Ireland, forming a significant part of the country's workforce and academic community. Of these, approximately 15,000 are students enrolled in Irish universities, making India the second-largest source of international students in Ireland within the European Union after Germany, an official statement from the Embassy noted.

'While 100,000 people may not seem large in an Indian context, it represents nearly 2 per cent of Ireland's total population of 5.7 million,' he said, pointing to the community's contribution across sectors such as technology, finance, pharmaceuticals, and healthcare.

As per the statement, Fanning highlighted the steady growth in the trade ties between New Delhi and Dublin. Ireland currently conducts around EUR16 billion in annual trade with India, accounting for roughly 10 per cent of the European Union's total trade with the country. 'Ireland is much smaller than 10 per cent of the EU, so we are already punching above our weight in our trading relationship with India,' Mr Fanning said.

He made the remarks during the annual St. Patrick's Day diplomatic outreach, on which government representatives travel globally to promote Irish values, heritage, and economic ties.

This year, Irish officials are visiting over 50 countries, including major economies such as Argentina, France, Spain, and India.

'We use the message of St. Patrick's Day to talk about our Irish values and heritage around the world and to build and foster connections with our trading partners,' he said. 'We are particularly pleased to be in India because it is such an important country to us.'

The visit also reflects a broader push to expand Ireland's footprint in India amid growing opportunities for trade, investment, and collaboration between the two countries. (ANI)