A series of high-level meetings with American policy makers will highlight the upcoming Premiers’ Mission to Washington DC, says Premier Robert Ghiz.
“I am looking forward to a very productive mission over the next couple of days. This is an opportunity for the Island to strengthen relationships with key decision makers, to promote our wind energy resources, and to enhance trade opportunities with the United States,” Premier Ghiz said.
While in Vancouver for the Winter Olympics, Premier Ghiz met with United States Ambassador to Canada, David Jacobson, to discuss the upcoming meetings in Washington, DC. Premier Ghiz is traveling to the United States capital today where he and a number of other Canadian premiers will meet with Ambassador Gary Doer, United States Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, and a number of state Governors and policy institute representatives.
The United States continues to be the Island’s most important trading partner, with agricultural and seafood products making up a large part of the $585 million in annual cross border exports. The meeting with Tom Vilsack, Secretary of Agriculture is seen as a key opportunity to emphasize the integrated nature of agricultural trade between our two countries and to promote efficiency and competitiveness.
The Premier will also participate in a meeting on Saturday with the National Governors’ Association. This will be the first ever meeting of the Council of the Federation and the National Governors’ Association. During the session, governors and premiers are expected to discuss trade and border issues, as well as energy and environment issues.
The meetings with leading policy institutes, including the Brookings Institute, Center for American Progress, the Institute for 21st Century Energy, the Hudson Institute, and the Pew Center on Global Climate Change, will provide an opportunity to explore opportunities for cross-border cooperation and collaboration.
Saskatchewan, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Québec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland and Labrador will also be participating in the mission.
The Council of the Federation is made up of all 13 provincial and territorial Premiers. It enables Premiers to work collaboratively to strengthen the Canadian federation.