John Neary, who became Ireland's ambassador to Japan in September, says his mission is to promote Irish economic interests.

During a courtesy visit Friday to The Japan Times, Neary stressed that he would like to promote Irish culture to achieve this mission because he sees a strong connection between cultural and business interests.

"For many (Japanese) people, their knowledge of Ireland is mainly through Irish culture (such as literature, dance and music), so by promoting culture, we can promote a better awareness of Ireland," he said. "If people know more about Ireland, then they would be more likely to do business with us."

Neary noted that due to increases in immigration from other European countries such as France, Germany, Italy and Poland, Ireland has become more international in recent years regardless of its small size and population of only 4.5 million.

In this sense, "Ireland is best suited to Japanese companies that are looking to establish a European base or to have access to the European market," said Neary, who has more than 35 years of diplomatic experience, mainly in Europe. This is his first posting in Asia.