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The Financial Secretary, Mr John C Tsang, will lead a high-level mission to Slovenia, Austria and the Czech Republic next week to promote the opportunities that are available in Hong Kong to global partners.
ˇ§As I have mentioned in the Budget, it is important for the Government to help our enterprises develop economic relations with the emerging markets. I will continue to do all I can to tell our investors the advantages of Hong Kongˇ¦s position in the region and the benefits of using Hong Kong as a platform for doing business in and with Mainland China, ˇ¨ the Financial Secretary said.
He will be accompanied by an 18-member business delegation to Ljubljana, Vienna and Prague, the respective capitals of the three Central European nations.
Mr Tsang will depart Hong Kong late on Saturday (May 24) to attend a range of meetings with government and private sector leaders concerned with business, banking, economics and finance.
On May 26, Mr Tsang will meet the Governor of the Bank of Slovenia, Dr Marko Kranjec, before holding talks with Sloveniaˇ¦s Minister of the Economy, Mr Andrej Vizjak, and the Minister of Finance, Dr Andrej Bajuk.
After delivering the keynote address at an Executive Business Lunch, Mr Tsang will hold a session with Slovenian media.
The following day, May 27, Mr Tsang will go to Vienna where he will meet the Austrian Vice-Chancellor and Minister of Finance, Mr Wilhelm Molterer, address an Executive Business Lunch, give an interview to Austrian media and have discussions with the Minister of Economics and Labour, Dr Martin Bratenstein.
On May 28, Mr Tsang will brief Austrian media before going to the Austrian National Bank for talks with its Governor, Dr Klaus Liebscher, and addressing a business lunch hosted by the bankˇ¦s Chief Executive Officer, Dr Erich Hampel.
After travelling to Prague on May 29, Mr Tsang will give a keynote speech to a select business audience, and meet the Minister of Finance, Mr Miroslav Kalousek, and the Governor of the Czech National Bank, Mr Zdenek Tuma. He will also visit the Prague Stock Exchange.
Mr Tsang will travel to London on June 1 to attend a Creative Hong Kong event and for a further round of official meetings before returning to Hong Kong on June 4.
Ends/Thursday, May 22, 2008
Issued at HKT 13:40
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