 May 18, 2004
This comes just one day before the Alberta-Alaska Bilateral Council meeting, where business and government leaders from both States will discuss important issues including construction of the natural gas pipeline and the future of a transportation corridor. Murkowski called the MOU signing a significant event. "We have a lot in common, not only are we re-establishing our relationship in a formal manner, we are highlighting the many opportunities in the area of energy and transportation." Premier Klein added that the MOU "commits us to learn from each other's best practices, and from the expertise found in both Alberta and Alaska in numerous different areas." The council will gavel into discussion tomorrow afternoon, taking up another important issue: additional communication links along this corridor. A secure fiber optic line could be placed along side the proposed rail track, helping to monitor the security of goods along the route, according to Murkowski. The governor said that now is the time to increase our oil and gas development, and partnerships with leaders like Premier Klein can help decrease our dependence on OPEC. "The energy wealth of America is coming from the Arctic, and it is clearly evident in both activities from Alaska and Alberta," he said.
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