GLASGOW Chamber of Commerce has underlined its determination to forge international business links for its members as Brexit looms on the horizon as it clinched a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with its counterpart in Berlin.

Chief executive Stuart Patrick declared the chamber was determined to support its members to do business in Europe “irrespective of what happens” after the UK exits the European Union.

The Berlin accord is the latest in a series of alliances the Glasgow chamber has struck since the Brexit vote, which has seen it establish formal ties with equivalent organisations in Manhattan and Milan.

The catalyst for talks with Berlin link came after the two cities were unveiled as the joint hosts of the inaugural European Championships. That will see Glasgow stage swimming, cycling, golf and gymnastics events, and Berlin host athletics, over 11 days from August 2.

With just over 100 days to go until the starting gun on the championships is fired, the MoU will aim to boost trading relationships between the two cities. It gives Glasgow businesses a link to a region that has been the fastest-growing in Germany since 2006, with growth in the digital and healthcare sectors particularly rapid.

At present, some 40 per cent of Glasgow’s exports are bound for Europe, with Germany accounting for the largest share.

Speaking from Berlin, Mr Patrick said: “From Glasgow’s perspective, it is a sign, we think, of commitment to future trading opportunities irrespective of what happens with Brexit. We want to get out there on the front foot and make arrangements with organisations as important as the Berlin Chamber of Commerce, to make sure our membership is still getting the opportunity to build up trade in Europe. The best way of doing that, especially the way Scotland voted, is to go out there and meet directly our potential partners.”

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Jan Eder, general director of the Berlin chamber, said the MoU underlines that our “economies stand together” - despite Brexit. He revealed Mr Patrick first contacted with him in the immediate aftermath of the terror attack at the Christmas market in Berlin in December 2016. “From that moment, we decided to work together and get to know each other,” he said. “Great Britain is the fourth biggest market for Berlin’s economy, so it is a very important part of our business life.”

Trade missions and networking opportunities are among the benefits which both parties say will flow from the agreement. It will consider the mutual promotion of Made in Glasgow and Made in Berlin products, and how to tackle economic issues such as the provision of opportunities for young people. Mr Eder said: “We are the start-up capital of Germany, so we might see some young people come to Glasgow and see how we can connect with this kind of scene we have here.

“We are not so strong in the traditional industries, there is no car industry or banking in Berlin. They all went away after the Second World War. But all the new [industries] like digital… this is what makes Berlin as this time. Hopefully we will find some good connections in Glasgow with those sectors, but we have to find that out.”

He added: “The most important thing from the agreement we will have is the network, so whenever a company in Glasgow needs something in Berlin, it is now much more easy to achieve.”

Asked to comment on the importance of the Berlin link in the context of Brexit, Mr Patrick said that, while the chamber has no direct influence over the negotiations, “the one thing we can do is support our members to do business.”

He said: “We chose to approach Berlin. We also did choose to approach Manhattan, because the United States is the single biggest country market for our exporters. We also approached the British Chamber of Commerce in Milan. Those three together are all important markets, [and] we think they will be important and growing markets in future. The contribution we can make is to go out there and make the old-fashioned connections that business people always have done.”

Mr Patrick was part of a delegation from the Glasgow chamber which visited Berlin to sign the accord. It coincided with the launch by the Scottish Government of a trade and investment hub in the German capital.