– Province Will Establish Sisterhood Ties with British Columbia, Canada
– Expectations for the Development of Renewable Energy, BT, and Educational Areas Are High

Gyeonggi Province will establish a sisterhood relationship with British Columbia, Canada, for the stimulation of its renewable energy, BT, and educational industries.

Gyeonggi Governor Kim Moo-soo Kim and British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell of Canada will hold a signing ceremony to affirm sister province ties at Hwaseonghaenggung at 4:00 P.M., May 19, 2008, for the mutual development of the two regions.

The site for the signing ceremony, Hwaseonghaenggung, is a world cultural heritage site where Great King Jeongjo, who upheld filial piety and revolution in the 18th century, stayed in his later years. It will be a unique and innovative ceremony that will be a marked departure from the conventional practice of establishing sisterhood relationships in conference rooms. Both governments were satisfied with the venue for the ceremony, and expect that the significance of the site will make the sisterhood relationship between the two provinces even more meaningful.

The two governments decided to establish sisterhood ties because British Columbia’s need for market diversification under the goal of strengthening trade with the Asia-Pacific region was well aligned with Gyeonggi Province’s strategy to introduce advanced technologies in its renewable energy, BT, and educational sectors.

The two governments plan to expand exchanges and cooperation in diverse areas such as resident welfare, economic cooperation, trade and investment, science and technology, arts and culture, tourism, urban development, environmental protection, and resource development. Both governments will jointly map out detailed cooperation project plans within the next year, and review the plans on a biannual basis.

A spokesperson from the Gyeonggi Province International Cooperation Office said, “The delegation from British Columbia has visited Korea with the aim of achieving business cooperation based on sisterhood ties. Exchange between the two regions may be even greater than was expected.” The delegation from British Columbia included 66 members from the provincial government, resident representatives, an education team, an eco-friendly tech team, and an eco-friendly building team.

The eco-friendly tech team will discuss renewable energy sources, such as hydrogen fuel and bio-gases, while the education team will discuss ways that Gyeonggi Province can attract Canada’s renowned colleges and English education programs, and the eco-friendly building team will discuss the construction and design of the Gwanggyo Administrative Town during business meetings with Gyeonggi Province officials.

In the session following the ceremony, Governor Kim presented Honorary Gyeonggi Province Citizenship to Premier Campbell, as he played a key role in building the close relationship between the two regions.

Since signing the MOU for Economic Cooperation in 1997, Gyeonggi Province and British Columbia have maintained a close partnership for more than 10 years, and have been striving to establish full-fledged sisterhood ties since July 2007.

British Columbia will be hosting the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, and is emerging as Canada¡¯s gateway to the Asia-Pacific region. With its abundant resources and continuously-growing high tech industries, the province is serving as a growth engine for all of North America. Notably, the province accommodates world-class research and development firms and science and technology businesses, and serves as a key player in the renewable energy, nano-technology, and educational industries, with diverse research institutes.