During an official trip to New York City to promote Québec’s Northern Plan, Premier Charest addressed a gathering of 300 people, primarily from New York business and financial circles, at a luncheon conference organized by the Foreign Policy Association.
“The Northern Plan is a vast economic development project—an example of sustainable development and a social model to be shared with the entire world. To benefit local communities and all Quebecers, we must attract private investment from across Québec and the rest of Canada, as well as from other countries” said Mr. Charest.
The Premier also held private talks with representatives of major financial institutions that invest in natural resources, energy and infrastructure around the globe. New York City is an international financial and stock market hub, while the New York Stock Exchange leads the world in terms of capitalization and value of securities traded.
“Québec has good economic relations with the Mid-Atlantic states, particularly New York, which accounts for $7 billion in trade each year. In addition, Québec has developed longstanding trust-based relationships with Wall Street institutions. The Northern Plan represents outstanding business opportunities for US companies interested in the mining, infrastructure and energy sectors. My meetings today are sure to bring benefits to all Quebecers,” said Mr. Charest.
The Premier also noted during each of his meetings that under the Northern Plan, one half of the vast area concerned will be set aside for non-industrial purposes, including protecting the environment and preserving biodiversity. Mr. Charest will be promoting the Northern Plan with European business and opinion leaders in London, Brussels, Frankfurt and Munich on the next leg of his tour (June 27-July 1).
The Plan Nord
The Québec government’s U.S. Strategy
(re-posted from Gov’t of Quebec website press release)