Premier Danielle Smith and Delegation Meet Governor Kim Jintae on April 22
Alberta Pavilion Sign Unveiling Ceremony... Renewed Commitment to Future Industry Cooperation
On April 22, Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province (Governor Kim Jintae) announced that Danielle Smith, Premier of Alberta, Canada, who has maintained exchanges with Gangwon for over 50 years, officially visited the province.
Daniel Smith, Premier of Alberta, Canada, who has maintained exchanges with Gangwon Province for over 50 years, officially visited Gangwon Province on the 22nd and held a conversation with Kim Jintae, Governor of Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province. Photo by Gangwon Provincial Government
This visit was made as a reciprocal gesture following the invitation extended by the Alberta provincial government to a Gangwon delegation in September of last year. It marks the first visit by an Alberta Premier to Gangwon in 20 years, since then-Premier Ralph Klein visited in 2004 to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the sisterhood agreement.
Governor Kim Jintae stated, "I still vividly remember the warm hospitality we received in Alberta last year, and I am very pleased to meet again like this. It has been 20 years since an Alberta Premier last visited Gangwon, making today a historic day."
On the 22nd, a delegation including Daniel Smith, Premier of Alberta, Canada, visited Gangwon Province and held a session to confirm friendly cooperation with Gangwon Province officials, including Governor Jin Tae Kim. Photo by Gangwon Provincial Government
Subsequently, delegations from both sides attended the unveiling ceremony for the 'Alberta Pavilion' sign. The Alberta Pavilion is a wooden structure donated by the Alberta provincial government to Gangwon to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the sisterhood agreement between Gangwon and Alberta and to wish for the successful hosting of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics.
Together with 'Gangwonjeong,' a pavilion that Gangwon donated to Alberta in 2004 to mark the 30th anniversary of their sisterhood, the Alberta Pavilion stands as a symbolic monument of friendship between the two regions and was established in the Alpensia Garden in PyeongChang in 2015.
This unveiling ceremony was held to commemorate the installation of a new sign reflecting the name 'Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province,' marking both the 50th anniversary of the sisterhood and the visit of Premier Danielle Smith.
At the unveiling, Governor Kim emphasized the significance of the sign replacement, stating, "Alberta's Gangwonjeong and Gangwon's Alberta Pavilion are the only symbolic structures exchanged between the sister provinces."
Premier Danielle Smith stated, "This visit demonstrates Alberta's firm commitment to the deep partnership that Alberta and Gangwon have built over the past 50 years. Alberta, home to approximately 24,000 residents of Korean descent, has maintained deep-rooted ties with Gangwon and has continued cooperation in various fields including sports and educational exchanges, clean energy, and agri-food."
She added, "I am pleased to have the opportunity to pioneer new areas of cooperation with Gangwon, including innovative industries such as life sciences and high technology, as well as expanding economic exchanges. Let us continue our long-standing friendship and create a better future for all residents of both regions."
With this visit, the two regions plan to strengthen economic, cultural, and human ties, and to establish a more advanced sisterhood relationship through the identification and implementation of practical cooperative projects.
In September of last year, Gangwon and Alberta agreed, through the 50th anniversary sisterhood agreement, to strengthen practical cooperation over the next five years in areas such as future industries, economic cooperation, and sports exchanges.
In line with this agreement, Gangwon National University Hospital held an online seminar with Cancer Care Alberta on the theme of cancer patient wellness. In February, the two regions hosted the 'Gangwon-Alberta Future Industry Cooperation Roundtable,' attended by institutional and academic experts in the hydrogen sector. In addition, efforts to identify practical cooperative projects continue, including the resumption of sports exchanges with the visit of an Alberta curling exchange group to Gangwon in July this year.
As both regions are fostering bio-healthcare, clean energy, and IT as common strategic industries, they are expected to become a leading model for interregional industrial cooperation in the future.
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