First-Ever Summit of North American Governors and Premiers to be Held in October

OTTAWA, Feb. 4, 2015 /CNW/ - The National Governors Association (NGA) of the United States, the Council of the Federation (COF) of Canada and the National Conference of Governors (CONAGO) of Mexico today announced the inaugural Summit of North American Governors and Premiers will be held October 30-31 in Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States of America. The summit will be attended by U.S. and Mexican governors and Canadian premiers.

The goal of the summit is to promote and advance cooperation by the leaders of North America, a continent that generates a combined gross domestic product of nearly USD$20 trillion per year with a population of more than 475 million. Specifically, the summit will focus on promoting economic development and trade through improvements and innovations in infrastructure and supply chain management, education, energy technology and culture.

"The North American Summit provides a forum to discuss shared issues of importance to all our citizens, including jobs, innovation and trade," said Paul Davis, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador and incoming Chair of the Council of the Federation. "Working together to expand trade and further develop international relations is an important priority of Canada's Premiers."

"This summit provides an invaluable opportunity to discuss job creation and develop new economic opportunities that will benefit all three countries in the future," said NGA Chair and summit host Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper. "Governors of the United States are committed to providing a meaningful dialogue with our North American partners, and I am honored to host the first of these meetings."

Governor Jorge Herrera Caldera, president of the CONAGO, said that international cooperation has become an effective tool for promoting development, building business alliances and promoting better opportunities for economic growth and employment. "The Summit of North America will be a platform to promote trade, open attractive routes for investments and strengthen the brotherhood and solidarity among nations," he said.

Ambassador of Canada to the United States Gary Doer and Ambassador of Mexico to the United States Eduardo Medina Mora will host a reception during the NGA Winter Meeting to celebrate the inaugural summit.

Details, including specific discussion topics, will be released later this year.

The Council of the Federation comprises all 13 provincial and territorial Premiers. It enables Premiers to work collaboratively, form closer ties, foster constructive relationships between governments, and show leadership on important issues that matter to Canadians.

The National Governors Association (NGA), founded in 1908, is the collective voice of the nation's governors and one of Washington, D.C.'s most respected public policy organizations. Its members are the governors of the states, territories and commonwealths. NGA provides governors and their senior staff members with services that range from representing states on Capitol Hill and before the Administration on key federal issues to developing and implementing innovative solutions to public policy challenges through the NGA Center for Best Practices. For more information, visit www.nga.org.

The National Conference of Governors (CONAGO) of Mexico, founded in 2002, is a permanent forum for the promotion of constructive dialogue, consultation and exchange between the 31 Governors of the States, and the Mayor of Mexico City with other actors, in order to strengthen institutional opportunities, and privilege agreements that affect the development and welfare of all Mexicans.

For further information: Contacts: COF: Lindsay de Leeuw, 613-851-5978, lindsay@canadaspremiers.ca; NGA: Jodi Omear, 202-624-5346, jomear@nga.org; CONAGO: Ariel Moutsatsos-Morales, 202-728-1650, arielmou@sre.gob.mx

First-Ever Summit of North American Governors and Premiers to be Held in October

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