Rhodri to speak on international Wales

The First Minister of the Welsh Assembly Government Rhodri Morgan will deliver the 36th anniversary lecture of the Welsh Centre for International Affairs next week.

He will be welcomed by the Archbishop of Wales, Dr Barry Morgan, who is President of the Centre, and thanked by Sir Emyr Jones Parry, chair of the all-Wales Convention.

The lecture, titled, An Outward Looking Nation, will take place at the Temple of Peace, Cathays Park, Cardiff, on Tuesday, November 17, at 7.30pm.

Mr Morgan said, "In the 10 years of devolution Wales has developed into a more self-assured country with increased confidence in its own capacity to take the right decisions on our own behalf on the domestic agenda. That is why we are now comfortable in our own skins and in turn we are now more confident of the part that we can play in the world. We are now part of a two-way street, in which Wales is increasingly known, recognised and respected throughout the world, and in which Wales is a place to which the world is increasingly welcomed."

Dr Morgan said, "Rhodri Morgan has been an outstanding First Minister who has fought hard on behalf of Wales, whatever the issue. We are delighted to welcome him to the Centre and hear his vision of what Wales can achieve in the international arena."

The Centre’s Director, Stephen Thomas, said, "Rhodri Morgan, during his tenure as First Minister, has ensured that the Welsh Assembly is active on matters beyond a merely domestic agenda – climate change, fair trade, and international development. His legacy in these fields will be a strong one."