NORTHERN IRELAND First Minister the Rev Ian Paisley yesterday expressed confidence that his successor, Peter Robinson, and taoiseach-elect Brian Cowen would work well together.
Speaking on a visit to Co Cork, he also rejected suggestions that greater economic co-operation could lead to unity by stealth.
Dr Paisley said that he believed that Mr Robinson and Mr Cowen would work well together, as they did earlier this week when launching an initiative to encourage international financial services companies based in Dublin to set up in Belfast.
"We're very glad about the arrangement that was announced between Mr Robinson and the incoming taoiseach and those businesses who are working down there can of course have a place in Northern Ireland and still keep their advantages and I think that's a very good thing."
Dr Paisley also welcomed the arrival of Aer Lingus in Belfast.
Rejecting economic co-operation as an attempt by the Irish Government to secure unity by stealth, he said: "I don't think it would be really fair to say people are using this to achieve Irish unity by stealth - you would soon see through people if they were trying to do that by stealth.
"There is a very big change in Northern Ireland . . . we certainly have got the ship into the water and we have found that the ship is waterproof - and it's sailing in the right direction, and I feel the generation who are now growing up, those young people need to take over from us."
Dr Paisley, with his wife Lady Eileen, was speaking following a visit to the graves of some of those lost on the SS Lusitania. He attended the 50th annual dinner of Cobh and Harbour Chamber of Commerce.
Dr Paisley said he was delighted to accept the invitation to Cobh because of its links with Belfast through the Titanic, which was built by Harland & Wolfe and then called to Cobh - then called Queenstown - as its last port of call on its tragic maiden voyage in 1912.
"I accepted this invite to Cobh because it seemed to me that this was a very notable time especially about the Titanic. As you know the Titanic is a very important part of our new desire to uplift the centre of our city", he said referring to Belfast's new Titanic Quarter.
Meanwhile, gardaí arrested two men for public order offences when some 60 people attended a demonstration organised by Republican Sinn Féin at the Commodore Hotel in Cobh last night.
They carried placards and tricolours and chanted traitors at those attending the dinner.
