THE Lord Mayor of the City of London Corporation Alderman Vincent Keaveny visited Derry on Friday just weeks following his installation to the position.
A delegation from Derry City and Strabane District Council led by the Mayor Alderman Graham Warke travelled to London earlier this month to attend the installation and Silent Ceremony.
Mayor Warke said he was deeply honoured to welcome the newly installed Lord Mayor to the city and thanked him for acknowledging the close links between the two cities and prioritising the visit just weeks after coming into office.
He said the promptness of the visit was testament to the strong existing business and historic links between the two cities and the willingness of the City of London Corporation to further develop those linkages to work with us to develop joint cultural, business, educational and tourism initiatives.
The Lord Mayor of London also met with senior Council officials, representatives from the Honorable the Irish Society and the Lord Lieutenant of Derry as well as key business leaders and influencers.
The meeting was an opportunity to promote the City Region and to provide an update on the City Deal projects and the city and region’s ambitious plans to transform it and bring about real growth and prosperity.
Mayor Alderman Warke welcoming the new Lord Mayor of London to the Guildhall said: “I am delighted that Lord Mayor Keaveny, within weeks of being installed as Lord Mayor of London, travelled to our city and region to see for himself the excellent work we are doing to promote this region and the important role we are playing in terms of financial services, research and innovation.
“I am delighted play my role to build on the relationship our city has forged with the City of London and to see how it can be developed further.
“Lord Mayor Keaveny is very much aware of the historic links between the two cities and of the extensive growth in the services sector here particularly in financial services and the important we are playing in that industry.
“He was very interested in hearing about our City Deal investment in research and innovation, particularly big data analytics and AI, and how it will really drive and transform our regional economy.
“The visit was an excellent opportunity for us to promote the work we are doing in terms of our investment offering, our skills development and the talent pipeline on our doorstep. “
Mayor Warke added that the two Councils will continue to work in partnership to discuss plans for future engagement and collaboration in 2022.
Alderman Vincent Keaveny was installed as the 693rd Lord Mayor of the City of London at a ceremony at London’s Guildhall on Saturday 13 November.
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.
The focus of his role is to strengthen economic ties with the UK, identify new business opportunities and promote the UK as a top global destination for foreign investment.
Derry City and Strabane District Council’s Chief Executive John Kelpie also welcomed the visit saying ongoing relationship building and collaborative working with the City of London Corporation is hugely significant in raising the City Region’s profile.
He said Lord Mayor Keaveny, who studied in Dublin and has strong family connections across Ireland, is a real ambassador for Derry and Strabane and the wider North West region.
Mr Kelpie thanked him for his continued support and said he looked forward to develop plans to work more closely with the City of London in 2022.
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