The following statement was issued today by Charles J. Furey, Minister of Industry, Trade and Technology. It was also read in the House of Assembly:

As Honourable Members are aware, Premier Tobin is presently in Aberdeen, leading a delegation of companies on a trade mission to Scotland.

The mission is part of our efforts to develop relationships with international partners in an effort to pursue global opportunities. It is an initiative that can be attributed to the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with North East Scotland, which was signed on June 20, 1995. The purpose of the MOU was to stimulate greater economic activity between the two regions. Areas of specific interest included energy resources, offshore business, marine industries, environmental technologies and information industries.

I am pleased to announce today that as a direct result of this MOU, the Premier has recently participated in the signing of three joint ventures between companies in Newfoundland and Scotland.

The first joint venture is between A. Harvey and Company Limited of St. John's and Consolidated Supply Management of Aberdeen. The new company, Harvey CSM, combines the wealth of North Sea and international experience of CSM in logistics and supply chain management with the first class facilities, resources and local reputation of A. Harvey and Company. The company will provide an integrated logistics/supply chain support service to the emerging oil, gas and mining industries in Atlantic Canada and worldwide.

The second partnership is between Specialist Solutions Limited of St. John's and Simul8 Limited of Aberdeen. The new venture, Trans Atlantic Medical Limited, will undertake software research and development projects to capture specific market niches in medical diagnostic imaging. The company's software will be designed for use by radiologists and other medical specialists and will enable the transmission and "rendering" of medical images over existing computer networks. The company's approach to Tele-Radiology will provide access to critical patient data in an inexpensive, unique and user friendly format. Trans Atlantic Medical Limited will be headquartered in St. John's with a satellite office in Aberdeen.

Mr. Speaker, the third joint venture is between Net.f/x Marketing Technologies of Mt. Pearl and ACS Design and Telematics of Banff, Scotland. These companies have formed a strategic alliance to develop a virtual trade zone to facilitate communication and trade between the two regions.

Mr. Speaker, a significant amount of work has been undertaken in the last 18 months on both sides under the Memorandum Of Understanding. It demonstrates that building relationships and developing partnerships is critical to pursuing global markets. The companies I have just referred to will open new markets for each other and provide direct economic benefits to their regions.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my Honorable Colleagues to join me in congratulating companies on both sides of this agreement and in wishing them the very best of success in the future.