Lord Mayor of London to address business leaders

He will meet with key political and business leaders, including Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Kittiratt Na-Ranong and Bank of Thailand Governor Prasarn Trairatvorakul. He will also meet with key representatives from the UK-based and Thai financial and professional services sector and deliver a keynote speech at a lunch organised by the British Chamber of Commerce in Thailand.
“The UK views Thailand as an increasingly close partner and this is reflected by the direction of travel on bilateral trade,” Wootton said. “The City stands ready to help support Thailand by sharing our expertise in infrastructure development and reconstruction in the wake of last year’s tragic floods. This visit will also offer an important opportunity to see how we can further deepen ties in the insurance/reinsurance markets.”
The business delegation, which began its visit to the region on Saturday, plans visits to the three countries as part of efforts to ensure Britain remains Southeast Asia’s partner of choice when it comes to financial and professional services. The visits end this coming Saturday.
During the visit, Wootton will meet with senior government figures, policy-makers, investment authorities and business leaders across the three countries. The Lord Mayor, who is the ambassador for the UK-based financial and professional services industry, is joined by leading representatives from the banking, legal and asset management sectors.
He will promote bilateral trade and investment including high value opportunities, increased two-way market access, public-private partnerships, and English contract law as a basis for international arbitration and dispute resolution.
“Our relationship with Southeast Asia is hugely important, and this long-standing partnership is one that I hope to strengthen during my visit to these three countries. The Philippines, Thailand and Singapore are all key strategic partners for UK and City businesses. We view this relationship very much as one of sharing skills and experiences to grow both our financial sectors by mobilising the two-way flow of capital, knowledge and ideas,” he said.
In the Philippines, Wootton is scheduled to meet President Benigno Aquino and other leading figures in the government. He will also ring the opening bell at the Philippine Stock Exchange and meet local business leaders.
In Singapore, he will meet policy-makers and investment authorities, including the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation.