1st October 2012
First Minister Carwyn Jones outlines plan for selling Wales to the world
Original article by Graham Henry, Wales Online. Click here to read the full article.
Wales must attract foreign investment and grow trade if it is to succeed on the world stage, the First Minister has said.
Carwyn Jones said he was looking at the possibility of deploying more staff in the US and the Gulf to represent the nation, as business leaders met in Cardiff to discuss ways to encourage growth at a meeting of the Council for Economic Renewal.
Mr Jones insisted that the Welsh Government was working to improve Wales’ attractiveness for inward investment.
At his first press conference since the National Assembly reconvened from its summer recess, Mr Jones also confirmed he is set to announce plans to “rebrand and refresh” Cardiff Airport in a bid to attract more passengers.
He stressed the need for a greater Welsh presence on America’s west coast and in the Gulf, and said the potential for staff to share space with the UK’s export arm Trade and Investment (UKTI) was being looked at.
“The figures for foreign direct investment are improving. They improved in 2011 from 2010,” he said. “What we do need to do is to continue to improve our presence overseas.
“That doesn’t mean opening lots of new office overseas, but it does mean co-locating staff with the UKTI.
“UKTI will always have many more resources than we have got.”