The Republic of Ireland, current holder of the European Union's rotating presidency, fully supports Saudi Arabia's bid to join the World Trade Organization (WTO), according to Frank Fahey, Ireland's minister of labor, trade and enterprise, who is on a short visit to the Kingdom. Ireland, he said, is also committed to a comprehensive peace in the Middle East; and gives full backing to any reform program to be launched by the Arab states, adding that reform cannot be imposed on any country, but must come from within.

Ireland is seeking to develop relations with the Kingdom specifically in the fields of education and information technology, and to strengthen relations with the states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Saudi Arabia accounts for almost 60 percent of Ireland's trade in the region.

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