Ministerial visits hope to boost ties with global markets

Wednesday 07 November 2018

The Chief Minister and the Minister for External Relations will be making a number of official international visits this month as part of the government’s strategy to build and develop relationships with "high-growth" markets outside the EU.

Senator John Le Fondré and Senator Ian Gorst will be visiting the US, the Middle East, Asia and Africa in the next few weeks.

The Minister for External Relations is visiting New York this week to take part in the World Economic Forum’s Partnering Against Corruption Initiative (PACI), a body that brings together leading business voices to cooperate on anti-corruption and transparency. Senator Gorst will also meet with British trade officials at the Consulate-General in New York and representatives from several US banking groups.

Senator Gorst will then be leading a delegation to the Middle East, during which he will make a two-day visit to the UAE and a one-day visit to Bahrain. The UAE visit will coincide with the launch of Jersey Finance’s new presence in the Dubai International Finance Centre. In Bahrain, the Minister will meet with the Ministry of Finance to progress negotiations on a Double Taxation Agreement between Jersey and Bahrain. 

In December, Senator Gorst will also be visiting Kenya and Rwanda.

The Chief Minister will travel to Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing, and will support the work of Jersey Finance by attending both the STEP Asia event and the Hubbis Wealth Management Forum, delivering a keynote speech at the latter. He will also be exploring ways "to build on established links in both the education and digital sectors." 

Senator Gorst commented: “Brexit provides the Island with significant incentive to develop Jersey’s presence on the global stage. The Ministry of External Relations is working hard to place Jersey in a strong position to enhance and deepen relationships with selected high-growth economies in North America, the Middle East, sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. Building commercial and political relationships is vital for achieving Jersey’s jobs and growth objectives.”

Senator Le Fondré added: “Developing strong government-to-government relationships is key to realising China’s market potential. The Island already enjoys strong links with China, including in education and financial services, and I am looking forward to building on strong foundations to increase Jersey’s visibility, access to decision-makers, and business flows with the world’s second largest economy.”