(L-R): Ge Huayong, President of UnionPay; Xavier Bettel, Prime Minister; Pierre Gramegna, Minister of Finance;
Credit: ME
Luxembourg's Prime Minister Xavier Bettel and Minister of Finance Pierre Gramegna have been attending the World Economic Forum in Davos this week from Tuesday to Thursday.
The forum allowed the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance to meet economic, political and social decision makers to promote the economic attractiveness of Luxembourg - a series of bilateral meetings and informal meetings were held for this purpose. These discussions also made it possible to discuss major political and economic issues.
On Wednesday and Thursday the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance had interviews with representatives of Ant Financial, as well as presidents of Julius Baer Group, MyMoney Bank, UnionPay and Wendelgroup.
The two Luxembourg ministers also attended a reception of Cisco and a reception organised by the Kingdom of Belgium, in the presence of the King and Queen of the Belgians, as well as the Belgian Prime Minister, Charles Michel.
PM Bettel also participated in a panel dedicated to the economy of space resources, surrounded by private sector actors. During this panel, he highlighted the pioneering role of Luxembourg in this area and how a country can attract companies through innovation. PM Bettel said: "Luxembourg is already home to a large space industry that generates jobs and supports the economy as a whole".
In Davos, PM Bettel then had a series of meetings with his counterparts. The Prime Minister, together with the Minister of Finance, met with Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis. These discussions focused on topics related to the future of Europe, with particular reference to the digital home market, Brexit and defense. Xavier Bettel also met with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama. During the meeting, he discussed the issue of bilateral relations between Albania and Luxembourg, as well as the issue of Albanian asylum seekers in Luxembourg.
In parallel, Minister Gramegna met with his Brazilian counterpart, Henrique Meirelles, and his Colombian counterpart, Mauricio Cardenas Santamaria, to discuss the development of financial relations and ways to strengthen them. The Minister of Finance also had a working lunch with his Swiss counterpart, Swiss Federal Councilor Ueli Maurer. In particular, they discussed economic and financial developments between Switzerland and Luxembourg.
