THE Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council Alderman Graham Warke has travelled to the City of London to attend today’s installation of the incoming Lord Mayor of the City of London Corporation Alderman Vincent Keaveny.
The new Lord Mayor of London was born in Dublin and becomes the first Irish man to hold the high office.
Alderman Warke said he was honoured to represent the City and District at this significant historic event.
He extended his congratulations to Lord Mayor Keaveny ahead of his installation saying Council and its partners were very keen to build on the existing strong business and historic links it has with the City of London.
In addition to attending the Installation ceremony, the Mayor will also meet with the Honourable the Irish Society Trustees, attend the Silent Ceremony, the Lord Mayor’s Show and the Ambassador’s lunch hosted by the City of London Chairperson of Policy and Resources Committee Catherine McGuinness.
Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council Alderman Graham Warke said it was a huge honour to be invited to the ceremony and the Council was committed to further developing the close links between the two cities and the continued work into relationship building and further developing cultural, business, educational and tourism linkages.
He said: “In recent years the city has forged much closer links with the City of London, this is partly due to the unique, historic links between the two cities but also due to the growth in the services sector here particularly financial services.
“Just last month I hosted a delegation from the City of London Corporation when they visited us to get a unique insight into the key role our region is playing in the success of UK financial services.
“They saw at first-hand how the City Deal investment in research and innovation, particularly big data analytics and AI, will drive our regional economy, as well as our investment in skills development and the talent pipeline.
“Financial services and the fintech sector will have a vital role in driving economic growth and supporting a strong sustainable recovery.
“It is a huge honour for me to be in London to attend this event and I am really pleased that I have secured a private meeting with the new incoming Mayor that will allow me to further forge that relationship and highlight the opportunities that exist for our two cities and regions to work more collaboratively.
“Alderman Keaveny is very much aware of our region, having studied in Dublin and family connections in Donegal and I hope that during his tenure as Mayor he will get a chance to come and visit our city and district and see some of our great success stories and the work we are doing through our City Deal investment to transform this region.”
He added that the City of London Corporation continues to be a strong partner and supporter of the North West City Region and extended his thanks the outgoing Mayor and the wider Council team for their continued support in raising our profile in the City of London.
Alderman Vincent Keaveny was installed as the 693rd Lord Mayor of the City of London at a ceremony at London’s Guildhall this morning, Saturday, November 13.
After the installation the Lord Mayor’s Banquet will be held on Monday, November 15 at Guildhall where the Prime Minister will deliver a speech.
During his term he will serve as a global ambassador for the UK based financial and professional services industry.
His role will see him meet with government representatives from around the world alongside business leaders and policymakers both at home and abroad.
He will look to strengthen economic ties with the UK, identify new business opportunities and promote the UK as a top global destination for foreign investment.
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