Alaska State Legislature
News From The Senate and House Majorities
Ken Freeman, (907) 465-3804
Wendy Lindskoog, (907) 465-4582
State Capitol
Juneau, AK 99801
Actuality line: 1-800-478-6540
http://www.akrepublicans.org
For Immediate Release: February 14, 1997 Contact: Ronda Thompson, 258-8187 or 465-4976
Good Relations With Russia Means Jobs For Alaskans
Parliamentary (DUMA) Delegates From Sakhalin Visit The Capitol
Juneau -- Parliamentary delegates from Russia’s Sakhalin Island and Leaders of the Alaska State Legislature signed a Memorandum of Cooperation Friday to help establish economic and social ties with our nearby neighbors in the Russian Far East.
Senate President Mike Miller and House Speaker Gail Phillips noted that Alaska businesses have an accelerated interest in working with Sakhalin, an island off the coast of Khabarovsk. It is on the verge of developing a $30 billion natural gas and oil mega-project that could provide an estimated 5,000 jobs and a huge economic boost for Alaskans.
"Sakhalin citizens are in the same position Alaskans were in the 1950’s -- they are poised to develop their vast natural resources and are looking for advice and assistance in building the infrastructure and support services they need to move forward," said Miller. "In the last 20 years, all of the major worldwide oil and gas developments have occurred in Alaska. Consequently, we have developed a tremendous expertise that is international in scope and capability."
"Alaska is the technology center for Arctic oil and gas development," Phillips said. "We have been there and done that when it comes to cold climate resource development. As Sakhalin’s coming economic boom emerges, Alaskans will find job opportunities by aggressively sharing our Arctic expertise in such areas as cold weather engineering, transportation, oil field services and supply, and worker health care and amenities.
"Seeking jobs for Alaskans doesn’t always mean finding them on your own turf," Senator Miller. "As the global market place evolves and telecommunications brings us all closer together, it is important we don’t limit our business opportunities to what’s contained within our own borders."
"An important step to establishing good economic relations with other countries is to first establish good governmental relations with them," said Phillips. "We are honored to welcome delegates from Sakhalin’s Duma to Alaska’s state capitol."
Similar to government in our country, the Sakhalin Territory Government is composed of three branches:
Delegates from Sakhalin’s Duma arrived in Alaska on Sunday, February 9 and are scheduled to depart Alaska on Sunday, February 15. Their visit, organized by the World Trade Center Alaska/Troika and hosted by Marathon Oil Company, includes meetings in Anchorage, Kenai and Juneau with private industry and government officials.
The newly elected Duma members visiting Alaska are: Vladislav Vladimirovich Rukavets, Deputy Chairman; Vasily Nyich Latsina, Member of Budget and Economy Commission; Alexander Stepanovich Staroderbstev, Member of Budget and Economy; Zanaida Ivanovna Sbolova, Chairman of Legislative Commission; Vladimir Emilyevich Gaubrikh, Chairman of Ecological Commission; Scrgei Alexandrovich Bazanov, Chairman of Health Care Commission; and Nikolai Prokophyevich Svetkin, Chairman of Education, Culture and Youth Commission.
"If we don’t jump on the opportunity to share our cold climate resource development expertise with Russia -- someone else will," said Miller. "And that means another country or state will provide their citizens with thousands of jobs expected to result from the project instead of Alaska."
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