10 July 2007
City of London visits Poland – with infrastructure and
education at heart of talks
The Lord Mayor of the world’s largest international financial
services and business centre, the “City of London” arrives in
Poland tonight (10 July) for a two-day series of meetings with
political, economic and institutional leaders.
Lord Mayor John Stuttard, who heads the “Square Mile” authority
in London and is the ambassador for UK-based financial services
said:
“Poland stands at the threshold of a new era in its development
and is an important EU partner for the UK. It has the potential to
be a regional powerhouse, its strategic location, well educated
workforce and dynamic private sector are attracting significant
foreign investment.
“On this visit we hope to share some of the UK’s world-leading
experience in the financing and development of infrastructure
projects such as public venues and motorways required ahead of Euro
2012.
“With more than 600 projects delivered, with quite a number of
substantial successes but also some mistakes, and my team and I are
happy to share this experience with anyone seeking to deliver
public services in the best and most cost-effective long-term
way.”
A key element of the visit will be a Public Private Partnership
(PPP) seminar on structuring and financing major projects, which
the Lord Mayor will host on 11 July.
A business team from top international banks, universities, and
engineering and law firms based in London will accompany Lord Mayor
Stuttard who is due to meet Prime Minister Kaczynski, Mayor
Gronkiewicz-Waltz of Warsaw, and call on the Ministry of
Justice.
Talks are also expected to include the EU’s competitiveness
agenda, ETQ (Education Training and Qualifications), legal services
and encouraging Polish companies to list on the LSE or AIM.
Lord Mayor John Stuttard said: “Europe needs to become an
ultra-competitive, knowledge-based economy if all member states,
including Poland, are to thrive in the new landscape of the world
economy, where not only the US but also China and India are major
forces.
“Investing in education and skills is a key to this – as is
reducing barriers to competition in key industries such as
financial and business services. The City of London has risen to be
Europe’s financial centre because of its openness to competition
and new ideas and its commitment to the best skills, and the best
workers – from all over the world.”
The Lord Mayor will be hosting a British-Polish Chamber of
Commerce business breakfast; ‘London and Warsaw a winning
combination’ where he will meet members of the Polish business
community and encourage industry in the region to look at the
investment potential in the UK for their companies. The Lord Mayor
is also keen to catch up and hear the experiences of graduates of
the ‘City of London Member States Accession Program’, which hosted
Polish financial practitioners, government officials and regulators
in March 2004.
The City of London business delegation includes representatives
from JP Morgan, Eversheds, Lovells, EDS, Nomura, Halcrow,
Securities and Investment Institute, Markel International and Cass
Business School.
Ends
Notes for editors
Key facts on City of London:
- 32% of all world currency trading in London (more than NYSE and
Nasdaq combined).
- 90% of world trade in metals, 23% of world aviation insurance,
25% of all marine insurance, almost 50% of all ship brokering in
London.
- London has the most liquid financial market and is the most
international.
- London is the largest investment banking centre in Europe,
dealing with half of all European investment banking activity. Most
investment banks are headquartered or have a major office in
London.
- 610 foreign companies are listed on the London Stock
Exchange.
- London’s international experience – it has the most foreign
banks of any financial centre (255 by March 2007 figs) – NY has 228
and Paris 217.
The Lord Mayor of the City of London
The Lord Mayor is the annually-elected head of the City of
London Corporation which provides local government services for the
Square Mile, the financial and commercial heart of the UK, and
which is committed to maintaining and enhancing the status of the
business City as the world's leading international financial and
business centre through its policies and services. Its
responsibilities also extend far beyond the City boundaries and
include management of the Barbican Centre, Central Criminal Court
at the Old Bailey, 10,000 acres of open space including Hampstead
Heath and Epping Forest, three wholesale food markets, as well as
acting as the London Port Health Authority. The Lord Mayor, the
City of London, UKTI and the UK Treasury work in partnership to
promote UK financial services.
More
about the Lord Mayor
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Further enquiries
Press enquiries in Poland to Malgosia Smierzycka by
email.
All other press enquiries to Cubby Fox on +44 (0)20 7332 3451 at
the City of London Press Office.