Alaska State Legislature
News Release

Ken Freeman, (907) 258-8164
Wendy Lindskoog, (907) 258-8184
Anchorage Legislative Information Office
Anchorage, AK 99501
web site: www.akrepublicans.org
Actuality line: 1-800-478-6540

Legislative Leaders Launch Russian Far East Trade Mission

Mission to Advance Government Relations and Alaska/Russia Business Partnerships

For Immediate Release: September 27, 1997 Contact: Wendy Lindskoog at (907) 258-8184

Anchorage -- Nearly 45 Alaska business leaders and state officials will join legislative leaders on a Russian Far East Diplomatic Trade Mission to Sakhalin and Khabarovsk, Alaska’s Sister State, beginning Saturday, September 27. The delegation departs Anchorage on a Reeve Aleutian Airways jet at 4:00 p.m. and returns Sunday, October 5th, at 9:30 p.m.

The mission’s goal is two-fold: to advance joint cooperative business opportunities between the Russian Far East and Alaska businesses and to offer assistance and suggestions to Russian Far East government officials as they lay the groundwork for a market economy.

"Because the Russian Far East’s economic climate is evolving so quickly, government officials from both Sakhalin and Kharbarovsk are looking to Alaska as a governmental model. They have asked for our assistance on everything from developing oil and gas legislation, structuring a judicial system, implementing standard business practices to establishing royalty and severance tax policies," said House Speaker Gail Phillips.

"Khabarovsk and Sakhalin have over $45 billion in oil, gas and mining projects requiring foreign capital and expertise," said Senate President Mike Miller. "By sharing ideas about government as well as Alaska’s responsible cold weather oil and gas development expertise, we cultivate an environment for Alaska and Russian Far East businesses to form lasting partnerships -- creating jobs for Alaskans."

This diplomatic mission will also fulfill Alaska’s part of the bilateral agreements set out in Memorandums of Cooperation signed by the 19th and 20th Alaska Legislatures with the Dumas of Khabarovsk and Sakhalin Regions.

The mission’s first stop will be Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk where participants will spend three days working with the Sakhalin Duma regional government officials and America/Alaska businesses.

While in Sakhalin, a new technical college formed through a joint venture between the University of Alaska’s Mining and Petroleum Training Service, Peak Oilfield Service Co. and the Russian Academy of Science, will be formally dedicated on October 1. Graduates of the college program will be eligible for offshore jobs in maintenance, operations, electrical and instrumentation.

"This college is a perfect example of how Alaska and the Russian Far East can work together with private and public companies to form successful projects," said Phillips. "We hope it serves as an example for future joint ventures."

From Sakhalin, the mission will travel to Khabarovsk on October 1st where the delegation will meet with Khabarovsk officials and participate in the Russian Far East Oil, Gas and Mining Exhibition and US/Russia Investment Conference. The conference and the exhibition are being coordinated by the World Trade Center Alaska and sponsored by the U.S. Trade and Development Agency.

Robin Zerbel, Director of the World Trade Center Alaska, said the purpose of the conference and exhibition are to draw attention to the enormous resources of the entire Russian Far East, and in particular the mining projects of Kamchatka and Magadan and the oil and gas projects of the Sakha Republic and Sakhalin.

The Alaska delegation will be comprised of legislative leaders, government officials, business and industry leaders, justice system advisors and financiers. Please see attachment for a complete list of mission participants.

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Press Conferences: A Press Conference with the delegation prior to departure to Sakhalin, Russia is set for Saturday, September 27 at 3:00 p.m., Concourse A, Gate 5, Domestic Terminal, Anchorage International Airport.

Legislative Leaders will hold a press conference when the delegation returns, Monday, October 6, 11:00 a.m., at the Anchorage Legislative Information Office, 5th floor conference room. The Anchorage LIO is located at 716 W. 4th Avenue.

Press Advisory: Barring communication difficulties, radio actualities will be fed from Russia on the Senate Majority Information Line, (800) 478-6540 throughout the trip.

Alaska State Legislators include:

• Senator Mike Miller, President of the Senate
• Senator Loren Leman, Chair, Labor and Commerce Committee
• Representative Gail Phillips, Speaker of the House of Representatives
• Representative John Cowdery, Chair, Committee on International Trade and Tourism
• Representative John Davies, Member, Finance Committee
• Representative Fred Dyson, Member, Health Education & Social Services, Resources, State Affairs and Community and Regional Affairs Committees
• Representative Joe Green, Chair, Judiciary Committee
• Representative Irene Nicholia, Member, Resources Committee
• Representative Brian Porter, Member Health, Education & Social Services, Judiciary and Rules Committees
• Representative Joe Ryan, Member, Community & Regional Affairs, Labor & Commerce Committees

Business, Investment and Community Leaders include:

• Bill Allen, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, VECO Corporation
• Dan Berkshire, Managing Director Transpacific Investment Fund
• Mark Bradley, Alaska Manager, Alaska Airgas
• Luann Cutler, Partner, Preston, Gates & Ellis, L.L.P. Attorneys
• Joeseph Donahue, Partner, Preston, Gates & Ellis, L.L.P. Attorneys
• Patrick Doran, Sales Manager, RussiaPacific Detroit Allison Diesel
• Rod Duplechin, Sales Director, kvaerner Oilfield Products, Inc.
• Michael Ebersole, Vice President, Veco Engineering
• Stanley Foo, Alaska Manager, Placer Dome of Alaska
• Paul Fuhs, Consultant on Ports & Uniform Commercial Code
• James Gibney, Vice President, Marriott Corporation
• David Ginnett, President & Chairman, Sakhalin Shelf Service Co.
• Dave Harbour, President & Chief Executive Officer, Action Security Co.
• Anatoly Ilyin, Deputy General Director, Wackenhut, Inc.
• Thomas M. Labno, Sales Director, Air Liquid/Big 3 Lincoln
• Joe Mathis, Manager, Business Development, NANA Corporation
• Tony Neal, President, CEO of "Vostokles" Timber JV in Khabarovsk, also Chair, International Construction Committee for Associated General Contractors of Alaska.
• Dave Parish, President, Parish & Associates
• Alex Ponomarev, Whisper Communications, Official Mission Translator
• Rose Ragsdale, Editor, Alaska Journal of Commerce
• John Ringstad, Consultant for British Petroleum
• Steve Smirnoff, Honorary Consul General to the Russian Federation
• Ronald E. Smith, Manager, Lubchem of Alaska
• Chris Sutton, President, Go Alaska, Inc.
• State Officials and Energy Council Members include:
• John Pilkinton, Director of the Oil & Gas Audit Division of the Alaska State Department of Revenue
• Pat Pourchot, Legislative Director for the State of Alaska Governor’s Office
• Kathleen Leitgeb, Director of the University of Alaska Fairbanks Elderhostel Program
• Oklahoma Senator Larry Dickerson, Energy Council Chairman
• Alabama Representative Al Knight