Gov. M. Jodi Rell convened a meeting in Stamford Wednesday to get a better idea of the international banking community?s response to the global economic crisis.

With the Dow plunging more than 500 points and the Nasdaq dropping more than 80, Rell says the purpose of her meeting was to discover how companies like UBS and RBS are handling the current economic climate.

"I also convened the meeting so I could hear from them what they are sensing and what they are experiencing right now," Rell says.

Rell says officials told her the banks expect to stay in Stamford and, despite inevitable layoffs and decreases in income, they hope to emerge from this economic crisis and continue doing solid business.

An RBS official also reaffirmed the bank?s commitment to Stamford and its plans to move to a new building by next April.