Belfast an International City
Belfast as a port city has always had an international feel and has thrived on building links with the world. Today Belfast City Council are deeply involved in building these partnerships and we believe that local international communities should be at the heart of that outreach.
From long established communities like the Jewish, Italian and Chinese to the more recent Eastern European communities we all have a role to play helping our new home country build bridges to others.
Belfast City Council has been a great partner and we hope that that work will continue. Thet=y are currently involved in:
EU and International relations
We’re building international relationships across Europe, USA and China in order to attract investment, encourage trade and develop our tourism, cultural and educational links.
We also collaborate with a number of key institutions in the city including universities and colleges, international consulates, Belfast Chamber of Commerce, the British Council, government departments including The Executive Office, Invest Northern Ireland, Visit Belfast, the NI Executive Office in Brussels, the Special European Programmes Body and potential investors.
Links to our key stakeholders are provided below.
All of these partnerships enable the European and International Relations unit to provide connectivity and service within the city and internationally.
Europe
Belfast's membership of EUROCITIES and strong links with the European Union (EU) help us to secure funding, promote Belfast across Europe, and influence EU policy development.
We're working with Dublin City Council to explore the potential of the 100 mile Belfast-Dublin economic corridor to improve transport connections and boost trade.
International
Belfast is a Sister City of Boston, Nashville (USA) and Shenyang (China) which allows us to strengthen trade, investment, tourism, cultural and educational links.
| Organisation | Website (link opens in new window) | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| All Consulates in Belfast and NI | https://www.ca-ni.org (Consulate Association NI)
http://ca-ni.org/documents/diplomatic-list.pdf (List of all Consulates in NI with contact details) |
028 9187 4697 |
| Belfast Chamber of Commerce | https://belfastchamber.com | 028 9033 1399 |
| Belfast Metropolitan College (International) | https://www.belfastmet.ac.uk/support-for-business/international-programmes | 028 9026 5025 |
| Eurocities | www.eurocities.eu | +3225520888 |
| International Relations Queen’s University | https://www.qub.ac.uk/directorates/MRCI/InternationalOffice/ | 028 9097 5088 |
| International Relations Ulster University | https://www.ulster.ac.uk/departments/global-engagement | 028 9036 8220 |
| Invest Northern Ireland | https://www.investni.com | 0800 181 4422 |
| NI Bureau Washington | https://www.nibureau.com | +1 (202) 674 3874 |
| NI Connections | https://www.niconnections.com | 0800 181 4422 |
| NI Executive Office Brussels | https://brusselsni.com | +32 2 290 13 30 |
| SEUPB Belfast | https://www.seupb.eu/seupb-home | 028 9026 6660 |
| St Mary’s University College (International) | https://www.stmarys-belfast.ac.uk/academic/departments/default.asp?nq=1&mode=detail&departmentid=36&cid=110786176978 | 028 9032 7678 |
| Stranmillis College (International) | https://www.stran.ac.uk/international-students/international-team | 028 9038 4255 |
| The British Council Belfast | https://nireland.britishcouncil.org | +44 (0)161 957 7755 |
| The Northern Ireland Executive Office | https://www.executiveoffice-ni.gov.uk | 028 9037 8151 |
| Tourism Ireland | www.tourismireland.com | 028 7035 9200 |
| Tourism NI | www.tourismni.com | 028 9023 1221 |
| Visit Belfast | https://meetbelfast.com | 028 9023 9026 |
Ties to China Develop
On 8 June, First Minister the Rt. Hon. Peter D Robinson, MLA and deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, MLA met with the Chinese Foreign Minister, Wang Yi at Stormont Castle ahead of the inauguration ceremony of the Chinese Consulate in Belfast.
First Minister Peter Robinson, and deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, today met with the Chinese Foreign Minister, Wang Yi at Stormont Castle ahead of the inauguration Ceremony of the Chinese Consulate in Belfast.
Picture by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye.
Speaking after their meeting with Minister Wang Yi the First Minister Peter Robinson:
I am delighted to welcome Foreign Minister Wang Yi to Belfast. Over recent years Northern Ireland has developed a strong and increasingly positive relationship and bond with partners in China. This will be further enhanced with the establishment of the Consulate in Belfast.
In April 2012, Vice-Premier Madame Liu Yandong visited Belfast and launched the Confucius Institute which has flourished and developed remarkably. As a result, eight classroom hubs have been established and thousands of local children in over one hundred schools are learning the Mandarin language and about Chinese culture, as part of the Confucius programme. These relationships have brought considerable mutual benefit to students and teachers in both our regions.
We are hopeful that this will extend to agriculture, economic cooperation and increased trade. The potential for Northern Ireland companies to prosper in the Chinese marketplace is endless. Invest NI recognises this opportunity and has established offices in Beijing and Shanghai. Along with the Executive Bureau in Beijing, this represents a long term commitment by the Northern Ireland Executive to develop and grow our relationship with China.
The deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness said:
I welcome Foreign Minister Wang Yi and the new Consulate in Belfast. This is a very exciting development for all of us in the north of Ireland with the Chinese government demonstrating a firm commitment by establishing a Consulate here led by Madam Consul-General Wang.
We are keen to strengthen government to government relations and to further develop, trade, investment, cultural and education links with China. Agriculture Minister Michelle O’Neill, has just returned from a hugely positive visit to Beijing. The developments in the agricultural sector have been helped by the invaluable work of the Bureau with the Chinese Government in Beijing, the Consulate in Belfast and the Chinese Friendship Association.
Our relationship with China continues to grow and we look forward to working with China to help create jobs, promote prosperity and at the same time promote mutual understanding of our different cultures.Northern Ireland Ties with China