Ladies & Gentlemen,

It is my great pleasure to welcome you to the 11th Paris Europlace International Financial Forum, which gathers each year in Paris more than 1000 participants, international investors and representatives of financial institutions.

As our forum has become a genuine success, we have decided to associate our event with Tremplin Entreprises forum, organized by Essec and French Senate, in order to present high growth companies & new sectors of the French economy and thus create the Paris Investors' week. I am very glad to highlight the success of this joint venture confirmed by our contacts worldwide.

My warm thanks go to all those who have agreed to share their experience with us by taking part in the events of these two days. There are many of you, so I cannot name them all.