France woos post-Brexit UK executives

Four thousand British executives have received a love letter from Paris.

The letter, written by the head of the Paris regional government to officials of companies of all sizes a day after the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union on June 23, extols the business advantages of the French capital. Listing everything from location and infrastructure to a well-trained workforce and world-class services, it makes a case for them to move operations and jobs to the region.

"The Paris region offers an unparalleled quality of life" with its hospitals, schools and cultural offerings among its strong points, Valerie Pecresse, the head of the regional government, wrote in the letter.

Cities across Europe are eyeing the spoils of the British referendum result, making a pitch to businesses large and small who want to secure access to the single market of the remaining 27 countries of the EU. In London's financial district, a truck was spotted carrying a billboard with the words "Dear startups, keep calm and move to Berlin". French and German politicians have sparred over whether Frankfurt or Paris should take over London's euro-clearing business.

Paris Europlace, a lobby for the French financial industry, is holding a conference this week to lay out reasons why Paris can be a major regional financial center. Unusually, Prime Minister Manuel Valls planned to speak at Europlace's banquet lunch on Wednesday, taking the place of Finance Minister Michel Sapin, as France makes a pitch for London jobs.