The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation plans to open a European office in London this year.

The new office will work on public policy, led by Geoffrey Lamb, a former World Bank vice president who advises the foundation on international policy development. Lamb, an Irish citizen, most recently accompanied Gates to meet with the Obama Administration and European leaders, urging them to maintain funding for global health and education despite the economic crisis.

The London office "will allow the foundation to deepen relationships with its Europe-based partners, liaise with grantees, and work closely with governments, European institutions, and non-governmental organizations," the Gates Foundation said in a statement. The office will initially employ five or six people. Lamb will be based in Washington DC, but oversee hiring of the London director.

It will be the foundation's fourth office outside its Seattle headquarters, after Washington D.C., New Delhi and Beijing.