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Natural Resources
December 15, 2010

The following statement was given today in the House of Assembly by the Honourable Shawn Skinner, Minister of Natural Resources:

Province Continues Relationship with Greenland

I rise today in this Honourable House to inform my colleagues of a trade mission to Greenland which took place in October. This mission was led by Premier Dunderdale as Minister of Natural Resources and myself as Minister of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development and included officials from both departments. This mission was an opportunity to showcase Newfoundland and Labrador's oil and gas capabilities and our highly-skilled service and supply sector.

The provincial delegation also included the Newfoundland and Labrador Oil and Gas Industries Association (NOIA), PF Collins, A. Harvey and Company Limited, the Marine Institute and Cougar Helicopters. Our province has previously participated in trade missions to Greenland and there have also been multiple visits by Greenlanders to forge relationships in Newfoundland and Labrador. In October, we were able to further strengthen this relationship and examine areas of mutual interest.

Meetings were held with a variety of key government officials including Greenland's Premier and the Premier's Executive Deputy Minister, the departments of Foreign Affairs; Culture, Education, Research and Church Affairs; the Bureau of Minerals and Petroleum; Finance and Industry and Mineral Resources. We also met with Nunaoil; Nunaminerals; Royal Arctic Lines; Air Greenland and TeleGreenland. Additional meetings were held by the organizations traveling with us.

Our meetings centred on identifying partnerships, particularly in the oil and gas sector. We also explored opportunities in the areas of education, broadband communication, boat building, consumer products and tourism.

Cultivating new, international opportunities for industry growth and development in the province is a top priority for our government.

Given the experience and expertise gained over the last decade or so in harnessing our oil and gas resources in a harsh-weather environment, the linkages between Newfoundland and Labrador and Greenland presents an extraordinary opportunity to collaborate and build on the strengths of each other.

This is especially true as we assess future development in our country's vast northern regions. As a gateway to the North, we can play a vital role in research and development, education and service and supply needs. We are confident that our world-class industry has a great deal to offer to support Arctic development while helping Greenland maximize its oil and gas potential.

This in turn will contribute to the continued expansion of our already successful oil and gas operations, while ensuring future economic growth and prosperity for the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.

2010 12 15                                                      2:15 p.m.

 


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