TAOISEACH Brian Cowen visited New York last week, bringing with him a message of hope and prosperity for future relations with the U.S.Cowen, who arrived in New York last Tuesday evening on the Irish government jet, attended the official launch of a photographic exhibit by famous photographer John Minihan, featuring Irish immigrants, at the Irish Arts Center on West 51st Street shortly after he landed."It is a particular honor to commence my first visit to New York as taoiseach in such a wise and august body of men and women," said Cowen to a packed room of mostly immigrants."I can assure you that we in Ireland have not forgotten you and what you have done for us over the decades of your lives here," he said.Cowen, a native of Co. Offaly, met with some of the immigrants photographed in the exhibition and listened to their stories.Bright and early on Wednesday morning, Cowen officially opened trading at the New York Stock Exchange by ringing the famed bell. Prior to ringing the Wall Street bell, Cowen, who worked in New York as a construction worker for a summer 30 years ago, was the guest of honor at a breakfast organized by Enterprise Ireland.He outlined to his audience, mostly made up of Irish American business leaders, that Ireland has one of the highest foreign direct investments relative to the size of its, economy and this he hopes will continue long into the future. "United States business is the biggest component of this investment. There are over 450 U.S. companies operating out of Ireland and they have invested over $55 billion in Ireland," he said."Building on our recent economic success, we are committed to maintaining competitiveness. That is why we have placed innovation at the heart of our economic development strategy."Cowen also announced $18.8 million worth of contracts between a number of firms backed by Enterprise Ireland and their U.S. customers.Cowen also met with New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. He told reporters after the meeting that he had discussed ways of improving the public services with the mayor.Following the meeting, Cowen took a tour of the World Trade Tribute Center where he experienced first hand the personal stories, images and artifacts that exposed the events of 9/11. He was given a personal tour of the center by Lee Ielpi, a father who lost his son on 9/11.Wednesday afternoon, Cowen had closed door meetings with senior Irish and Irish American business leaders, including members of the Taoiseach's Economic Advisory Board.Later that afternoon, Cowen met with various community groups including the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform (ILIR) to discuss matters pertaining to the Irish community, and specifically to address the issue of the estimated 50,000 Irish undocumented in the U.S.On Wednesday evening, Irish Consul General Niall Burgess hosted Cowen and hundreds of guests at a reception at the Irish Consulate on Park Avenue in his honor. Cowen asked hundreds of people from the Irish community for their "ongoing support for Ireland, North and South, in the years ahead.""Ireland and New York, Ireland and the U.S. have never been closer politically, economically and culturally that we are today," Cowen said.He thanked the various country and community associations and paid a special tribute to the GAA. "I particularly salute and appreciate the GAA's work for the undocumented Irish," he said.Thursday morning, Cowen had a closed door meeting with the editorial board of The Wall Street Journal. Mid morning he attend a reception for the Gate Theatre (currently running plays at the Lincoln Center) and Abbey Theatre."They are helping to keep our footprint strong in this country, underlining the message that creativity and excellence go hand in hand in Ireland - in business as well as in the arts," Cowen told a packed room at the consul general's official New York residence.Cowen was a guest of honor at a lunch hosted by the Industrial Development Agency (IDA) on Thursday afternoon where he spoke in depth about investment from U.S. companies to Ireland. Later Thursday afternoon, He attended a Tourism Ireland event specifically for tour operators and airlines.Thursday evening Cowen addressed Irish America magazine's Wall Street 50, honoring Irish-American business leaders."Coming to the United States is always a great source of inspiration for me," he told business leaders."My own family background has been one of great gratitude to this country for what it has done for my grandmother, for my mother, my uncles, my aunts, some of whom still live here and carved a life for themselves here."Speaking about the change that has economically happened in Ireland during the past two decades, he said, "That sort of change has brought its own challenges but it has enabled us I think to flourish, to gain confidence in our own ability to dictate our own affairs in a very interdependent world."He continued. "The United States of America and the Irish in America, and the fact that you could come to this country and be what you wanted to be, is something that has always been a source of inspiration for the Irish at home."