Five business bodies in Northern Ireland and the Republic will join forces for the first time next month to launch a major initiative that will promote the idea of an "invisible" Border to potential investors.

The North West Chambers of Commerce Initiative, which will be officially launched by the President, Mrs McAleese, at a cross-Border business conference in Northern Ireland, represents a ground-breaking private sector-led alliance between chambers in the North and South.

Derry Chamber of Commerce and its Letterkenny counterpart are two of the lead players in the newly established, self-funded body which also embraces chambers in Strabane, Limavady and Gweedore. Mr Alan McClure, president of Derry Chamber, said yesterday that the key aim behind the initiative was to stimulate investment and job-creation in the region.

The body planned to work in tandem with existing organisations such as InterTrade Ireland and the British and Irish Governments' joint campaign group for cross-Border business, he added.

"Our message is that investment, whether it is located in Co Derry or Co Donegal, brings a net benefit to the region as a whole and the same rings true for cross-Border trade - it is all mutually beneficial, there is no them and us scenario in the north-west.

"The North West Initiative has been established because we see the need for a powerful lobby group that can campaign on behalf of the region and address some of the key issues which the chambers have identified as potential threats to the future growth of this region," Mr McClure said.

He added that next month's business conference would be attended by Mr Martin Naughton, chairman of Inter Trade Ireland, and would help highlight these issues.

According to Mr McClure, the North West Initiative, which has already attracted the support of the two governments, will represent more than 300,000 people and hundreds of small firms and companies in the northwest.