Paisley eyes overseas relations role after quitting

BELFAST (AFP) - Northern Ireland's First Minister Ian Paisley said Tuesday he would like to promote the province abroad after he steps down from the post.

The 82-year-old announced his resignation as leader of the Northern Ireland Assembly in Belfast and the largest Protestant party the Democratic Unionists (DUP) in March.

In an interview as Northern Ireland prepared to mark the first anniversary of power-sharing government between Protestants and Catholics Thursday, Paisley said he would miss the "rough and tumble" of being in government.

And he urged younger generations to get involved in politics, saying the province, after decades of sectarian violence that blighted foreign investment and economic development, now had "a great future".

"It is only right that I hand over now to the next generation of leaders who will be around longer than me and I would welcome whatever they ask me to do," he told Britain's domestic Press Association news agency.

"There are countries around the world we should open arrangements with. We have many friends, particularly in the Commonwealth and I believe there is a lot of work which can be done with Canada.

"Certainly I would be willing to do what I could to help relations between us and those countries."

A conference is being held in Northern Ireland this week aimed at potential US investors. Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown, his incoming Irish counterpart Brian Cowen and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg are due to attend.

Paisley's departure from the frontline of Northern Irish politics marks the end of an era during which he moved from being an uncompromising, vocal hardliner against Catholics and republicanism to sharing power with his former foes.

Over the last year he and his deputy Martin McGuinness, from the largest Catholic party Sinn Fein, have made boosting Northern Ireland's economy their top priority.

McGuinness said the US interest in the conference was "a major vote of confidence" in the province, particularly at a time of economic uncertainty across the Atlantic.

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