To ask the First Minister and deputy First Minister for an update on the development of a Europe strategy.

Mrs O'Neill (The First Minister)

We do not underestimate the importance of having a strategic focus on Europe as our closest neighbour. Following Brexit, our officials continue to explore how best to engage strategically to manage the challenges of our new relationship as well as maximise the opportunities that it presents. That work has been considered as part of the development of the new overarching international relations strategy, and it will intersect with broader Executive and departmental strategies and actions. We live in an increasingly interconnected world, one where developments and decisions elsewhere impact on us directly. If we are to drive prosperity and tackle disadvantage across our communities and deliver on our Programme for Government ambitions, we must engage with key international partners. That will be important in setting out our longer-term approach to global engagement.

Mrs O'Neill

Yes. We are moving closer to finalising an international relations strategy, which will focus on all our international relations but, in a post-Brexit world in particular, our relationship with Europe more generally. Certainly, there is a recognition that Europe remains one of our most significant partners for trade, investment and cultural exchange. Our international relations strategy is going to be supported by thematic and regional delivery plans, and that is all going to be important. We are engaging constantly with an ever-increasing number of ambassadors who are choosing to visit here and to talk to us about building relationships. That is going to be really important. I am hoping to come to the House in the near future with a new international relations strategy.

Mr Kearney

Minister, I turn to the economic element of our relationship with Europe. In your Transforming Communities for Inclusion (TCI) global conference speech, a few days ago, you said that the North can now boast that Titanic Belfast is one of the most attractive visitor experiences in Europe, that we are now looking at cruises to this destination becoming more popular than in any other part of Europe in a relative sense, and that, in the context of the all-island economy —

Mr Speaker

Question, Mr Kearney.

Mr Kearney

— our exports are growing. Therefore, Minister, do you agree that now is the time for us to maximise our access to the dual-market economy?

Mrs O'Neill

In short, yes, absolutely. You mentioned the TCI conference. That was a conference last week that I and the Taoiseach spoke at. The theme of the conference was clustering and how we work together. I took the opportunity to talk about the manufacturing and engineering growth and advancement (MEGA) network, which is a fantastic example of advanced manufacturing companies coming together across my constituency and neighbouring constituencies. That is a really good example of how, collaboratively, we can work together. You mentioned our having dual-market access, and I spoke about that at the event. The fact that we have unique access for local businesses to trade freely with the EU and British markets — two of the world's largest — gives us access to more than 500 million customers and a net worth of £6 trillion. That is why it is important that we continue to reach for all those opportunities to create jobs and grow our economy. We have that unique selling point, and we have to maximise it. That is at the heart of the work of the Department for the Economy through Dr Caoimhe Archibald. With regard to international relations more generally, in the past month, we have met a considerable number of ambassadors who are choosing to visit here to talk about areas of partnership and areas where we can engage and grow international trade. We need to continue to grab on to the dual-market access and maximise it to our benefit.

Ms McLaughlin

The UK Chancellor recently announced plans for a new youth mobility agreement with the EU. Have the Executive made any formal representations to ensure that young people here are included in that scheme?

Mrs O'Neill

Yes, we raised that issue at a recent meeting with a British Government Minister whose name escapes me just now. We had a discussion about youth mobility. Clearly, there is a whole new strategic focus, with a new partnership arrangement between the British Government and the EU, and the youth mobility scheme is built into that. Our young people should be afforded the opportunity to have that freedom of movement, so we will continue to make that case.