3. Will the First Minister provide an update on the Welsh Government's international strategy? OQ57614

I thank the Member for that question, Llywydd. Since the publication of the international strategy, we have published a series of action plans and reinforced our relationships with key international partners. We regularly review priorities against the international strategy as we move into a world beyond coronavirus.

I thank the First Minister for his answer. As we look ahead to the St David's Day celebrations in a few weeks' time, I took the trouble earlier this week of reading your written statement in advance of last year's St David's Day. I was delighted to read that your aim then was to use our

'National Day to support delivery of our International Strategy, with its key ambitions of raising Wales' profile on the international stage'.

I remember from Plenary last week that this year's plans are similar as well. But in that written statement, you mentioned that most of this work would be publicised via the @walesdotcom Twitter, Instagram and Facebook pages. Indeed, much of Wales's international publicity is supposed to be done via @walesdotcom. But, First Minister, are you aware that, as of this morning, those same Twitter and Facebook pages you mentioned last year as being an integral part of your international strategy have only had one original post in the last three months, and the Instagram page has only posted once since September? How exactly are we selling Wales to the world ahead of our national day as a place to work, study, visit and invest when we look closed for business?

Llywydd, I'm in no doubt at all that the Member spends more of his time looking at those social media posts than I do. What I can tell him, of course, is that the Welsh Government, through the international strategy, is busy every day in making sure that Wales is promoted abroad and that we use our national day as a platform on which we can do more to make sure that the profile of Wales, opportunities for business in Wales, the work of our arts organisations, our sports organisations are known across the world, and that the profile of Wales is strengthened accordingly.

Llywydd, even in the last month, across the world, Welsh Government offices have been doing exactly that: a Welsh event in Washington with Study in Wales and Welsh universities, making sure that opportunities to come and study here in Wales are properly known and promoted in the United States, and face-to-face meetings in our Brussels office resuming, particularly around the plan to have a meeting of the CPMR—the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions—here in Cardiff in March, bringing delegations from across Europe to our capital city. Our Paris office supported a Welsh trade mission to the World Nuclear Exhibition in Paris in December. Our middle east offices have been, of course, focusing on the World Expo event in Dubai, and in Japan, our office has led an offshore wind investment event that has led to 10 Japanese companies expressing an interest in making investment here in Wales.

Perhaps if the Member spent a little less time trailing Instagram and a little bit longer looking at the world around him, he would recognise all the things that go on all the time to promote Wales on that world stage.

First Minister, Wales is home to some internationally recognised brands such as Penderyn whisky, based in my own constituency, and their slogan, 'From Wales to the world', emphasises this global outlook. In addition to the comments you've already made to the previous Member, could you outline for us how the Welsh Government is building on the reputation of these world leaders, both to promote Welsh businesses and Wales as a tourism destination?

I thank Vikki Howells for that question. Of course, she is absolutely right to point to Penderyn whisky as a leading Welsh brand, a brand known right across the world. Wales has leading brands in many parts of life; it was fantastic that Welsh National Opera were chosen to perform in Dubai at the expo event. But in food and drink in particular, we have so many world-leading brands, and at Dubai—and my colleague Vaughan Gething will be representing Wales at the expo event around St David's Day—we will be promoting Tŷ Nant water, Rachel's Organic, Snowdonia Cheese, alongside, of course, Penderyn whisky.

When I was in Japan, Llywydd—it seems a while ago now—Penderyn whisky was a real calling card for Wales, known everywhere. I was in Tokyo myself the day that Tokyo ran out of Wrexham Lager during the world cup, and that was another iconic Welsh brand that's known across the world. Those brands, as well as being calling cards for Welsh businesses, as Vikki Howells said, also bring people to Wales. Again, when I was in Japan, food and drink was very important to Japanese visitors. It's very important indeed that they have a strong sense of provenance of the food that they're eating. When they come to Wales, as they have, up to the pandemic, in growing numbers year by year, those iconic brands are what very often help us to strengthen that tourism offer as well.