Listen
Euro Finance Week
18/11/2009
Euro Finance Week provided a valuable opportunity for Scotland to forge closer links with several key decision makers across Europe's financial sector, First Minister Alex Salmond said today.
The First Minister led a strong Scottish delegation to the event to reinforce Scotland's position in financial services.
During his visit the First Minister met with influential European economic figures including the Prime Minister of Luxembourg Jean-Claude Junker, President of the European Central Bank Jean-Claude Trichet and Chairman of Deutsche Bank, Dr Joseph Ackermann.
A number of Scottish companies were represented at the conference.
The First Minister also met today with German politician David McAllister, leader of the CDU group in Lower Saxony, whose father was Scottish.
At the conclusion of the programme, First Minister Alex Salmond said:
"It has been highly successful and productive visit to Frankfurt for Euro Finance Week. It has provided an important opportunity to meet several key decision makers in the financial sector across Europe, including the President of the European Central Bank Jean-Claude Trichet.
"Scotland has a significant presence at this major financial event, which attracts more than 10,000 delegates from more than 60 countries.
"We have had some very positive announcements in the Scottish financial sector this week from Odyssey Financial Technologies and Kleinwort Benson, who have both demonstrated their confidence in our economy with their plans to open new offices in Scotland.
"There was significant interest at Euro Finance Week on Tesco Bank's decision to base its headquarters in Edinburgh and also in life assurance assets and financial management sectors in the Scottish financial sector.
"Despite current difficulties, Scotland's reputation for financial services remains strong and our talent and infrastructure continues to attract some of the biggest names in finance, as announcements by Tesco Bank, Virgin Money, Esure, BNP Paribas, Odyssey and Kleinwort Benson testify."
Owen Kelly, chief executive of Scottish Financial Enterprise (SFE), said:
"We were delighted to work with the First Minister and SDI on Euro Finance Week. Following SFE's recent roundtable with financial centres in Brussels, Euro Finance Week in Frankfurt was an important opportunity to promote Scotland as an international financial centre in the crucial European marketplace."
David Smith, interim chief executive of Scottish Development International, added: "The high-profile Scottish presence at Euro Finance Week has made a major contribution to our on-going efforts to promote the skills and capabilities of the Scottish financial sector. We have progressed a number of opportunities for Scotland as a result of our sales and marketing activities in Frankfurt."
Speaking on behalf of the conference organisers the Maleki Group, Dr Nader Maleki said: "I am very proud and honoured that the First Minister's first ever visit to Germany took place within the framework of the 12th Euro Finance Week.
"The overarching theme of the week is traditionally the integration of European financial markets and I feel that our international audience took great interest in the First Minister's perspective on the future of the European financial services industry and Scotland's particular role as a financial centre within this context.
"I hope that we will continue this extremely fruitful cooperation. I would be especially delighted to involve more high-ranking leaders of Scottish business and finance in our international conferences in the future."
The First Minister delivered a keynote speech at the panel session Restructuring the Global Financial Architecture - The Road Ahead at the conference, alongside Prof. Dr Jurgen Stark of the European Central Bank, Prof. K. C. Chan, Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
Euro Finance Week takes place from November 16 to 20 at Frankfurt Conference Centre.