Irish Consul general, Mr Bill Nolan painted this positive outlook of the future at a St Patrick Day's celebration in Maseru on March 17, showing how the donor community's role was now more supportive and secondary though assistance from external sources in one form or another would always be required for some time into the future.

Lesotho like other countries will find ways of funding its development programmes very differently in the future and it will no longer be a poor country going cap in hand looking for something called "aid".

Government backed up by a professionally competent public service and other state agencies will seek to obtain a variety of ways the wherewithal to develop the country, Mr Nolan said.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr Monyane Moleleki commended Ireland, through Development Cooperation Ireland (DCI, as the country's leading development partner with an allocation of 240 million Maloti in the 2005 -2007 period.

The recent official visit of the Prime Minister to the Republic of Ireland afforded the leadership of both countries the opportunity to exchange views on issues of mutual interest and modalities for taking even to higher levels the bilateral cooperation between the two countries, Mr Moleleki said.

St Patrick was the patron saint and national apostle of Ireland who is credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland.

18 March 2005