Juneau -- A 24-member delegation of business and political leaders from Canada's Northwest Territories, led by former Premier Jim Antoine, will be in Alaska next week, hoping to expand on trade and market opportunities between the two entities.

"Many levels of cooperation between Alaska and the Northwest Territories already exist and are flourishing," said Representative Gail Phillips (R-Homer), Chair of the House Committee on World Trade and State/Federal Relations' Subcommittee on Canadian Relations. "We are proud of the relationships which we have developed between Alaska and the Northwest Territories in the areas of housing, health, northern technologies, and transportation and are hoping to expand and further develop these and other relationships."

"The seed of the relationship between Alaska and the Northwest Territories began with contacts between our Chambers of Commerce and the Northern Forum," said Representative Ramona Barnes (R-Anchorage), Chair of the House Committee on World Trade and State/Federal Relations. "We will pursue a bilateral agreement between the Alaska Legislature and the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly during this visit."

The delegation will focus on business opportunities in the areas of construction, transportation, wholesaling, services, and technology during the five-day visit. The delegation will stop in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Sunday afternoon, March 26, before arriving in Juneau that evening. The group is scheduled to be in Juneau on Monday, Anchorage Tuesday, Nome Wednesday, and Barrow Thursday, arriving back in Yellowknife, NWT, Thursday night.

Itinerary for the Representatives of the Northwest Territories Trade Mission