VICTORIA - B.C.'s role as Canada's Pacific Gateway and host of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games lead the items for discussion during meetings with the B.C. Consular Corps and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Heads of Missions this week, Premier Gordon Campbell said today.

"In many ways, the strength of our position as Canada's Pacific Gateway relies as much on our diplomatic relations as it does on our gateway infrastructure," said Campbell. "We committed to seize every opportunity to build on those relationships and promote B.C. in the Asia-Pacific, and meeting with senior representatives from the ASEAN nations is a chance to do just that. I welcome them to B.C. in recognition that ASEAN nations are an important part of the growth and opportunities open to B.C. in the Pacific Century."

Premier Campbell met today with the ASEAN delegation from Ottawa, representing six ASEAN jurisdictions, to discuss trade and investment opportunities, B.C.'s climate change initiative, the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games and other priorities.

Colin Hansen, Minister of Economic Development for B.C., John Van Dongen, Minister of State for Intergovernmental Relations and other senior members of government will hold further meetings in Victoria and Vancouver with the ASEAN delegation and the B.C. Consular Corps throughout this week to promote and discuss benefits and implementation of the Province's Asia Pacific Initiative. Released on April 2, the Asia Pacific Initiative sets out the Province's long-term strategy to diversity B.C.'s economic ties with Asia-Pacific countries through a more co-ordinated approach to facilitating trade and investment.

The ASEAN region has a population of about 550 million, a total area of 4.5 million square km, a combined gross domestic product of almost $800 billion US, and total trade of about $900 billion US. B.C.'s exports to the region have grown by approximately 32 per cent over the past five years and totalled $524 million in 2006.

The B.C. Consular Corps, based mainly in Vancouver, is the official body comprising all Consular Officers (Consuls General, Consuls, Vice-Consuls and Consular Agents) resident in the province, representing 91 countries. Functions of the Consular Officers include representing their country and promoting their country's trade within the Consular District.