The other countries are Japan and Taiwan. This trip is aimed at strengthening those ties and helping to further develop the market in that region for our petroleum, coal and other industries. The Minister will be in Japan from November 9 to 15. She will meet with senior government and energy officials, including representatives of NKK and other Japanese steel companies and their trading companies. For the past three years NKK and Kobe Steel officials visiting Alberta have invited Mrs. Black to visit Japan.
Japan is Alberta's largest export market for metallurgical coal.
Japan also purchased more than one million tonnes of thermal coal from Alberta last year. While in Japan, the Minister will attend a dinner with representatives of several power companies which use Alberta thermal coal. One of Mitsubishi's subsidiary companies holds five per cent equity interest in Syncrude Canada Ltd., while JNOC has funded several energy-related ventures in Alberta. On November 10, the Minister will speak at a seminar on natural gas liquids at which representatives of Alberta companies will make presentations. She will be guest speaker at a Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Japan luncheon on November 14.