Juneau -- Wednesday the House Special Committee on World Trade and Federal & State Affairs unanimously passed out of committee two resolutions dealing with maritime boundary disputes over U.S. coastal waters commonly shared between Alaska and Canada and Alaska and the former U.S.S.R.

Representative John Coghill, (R-North Pole), sponsors both resolutions. He said they were introduced to "encourage the federal government to begin a new dialog with Canada and Russia over the disputed maritime boundaries between the three countries and to assure that Alaska is sitting at the negotiating table."

In 1990, the United States and the U.S.S.R signed a proposed treaty. Alaska was not a part of those negotiations and neither the U.S.S.R, nor Russia has ratified the treaty. HJR 27 requests that Congress rescind the treaty and begin new negotiations with Russia and Alaska.

HJR 26 calls for the federal government to continue ongoing negotiations with Canada, but include Alaska in the talks. Similar provisions were made for the State of Maine in the delimitation of the maritime boundary in the Gulf of Maine negotiations.

Coghill said we can not continue to stand by and allow the United States government to encroach any more on its states rights and valuable resources. "The legislature needs to ensure that any negotiations must include participation of representatives of the State of Alaska."

The resolutions are scheduled to be heard in the House State Affairs Committee on April 8th at 8:00 a.m. People wishing to testify should contact their local Legislative Information Office or call Representative Coghill at 877-465-3719.