NEWS RELEASE                         May 24, 2012

Lt. Governor Owen to sign pact with regional government in Peru

SEATTLE - A delegation of high-level officials from Peru is visiting Seattle this week and will meet with Lt. Gov. Brad Owen Saturday to sign an agreement between his office and a regional governor.

The 12-member delegation is from the South American country’s northwestern province of Piura, and includes its governor, Javier Atkins Lerggios. Gov. Atkins and Lt. Gov. Owen will meet at 8 p.m. on May 26 at the Peruvian Consulate in Seattle to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU). The MOU calls for the Office of the Lieutenant Governor and regional government of Piura to work together on business, trade, education, technology, economic development and humanitarian aid.

Similar to Washington’s location in the United States, Piura is situated along the coast. Two of its largest cities, Paita and Talara, are both port cities.  In addition to being a tourist destination, the region is known for petroleum, fishing, agriculture, cotton and other natural resources.

“We want to use this agreement as a springboard for developing tighter relations with this developing region in Peru, and do so in a way that will benefit both the state of Washington and Piura,” said Lt. Gov. Owen. “For instance, are there ways for our ports to work more closely together? What can our experts at Washington State University do to help the region produce higher yields on their farms? Are there additional markets for Washington-based technology businesses in that region?”

There may also be room for more exchanges for students and teachers with the region, and for other  new business opportunities in the future, Lt. Gov. Owen said.

The lieutenant governor’s comments at the signing are expected to include praise for the longstanding relationship between Peru and the state of Washington. Owen has been to Peru twice on trade missions, and has a fire truck named after him there because of legislation he sponsored that allowed for the transfer of a surplus fire truck in Washington to be transported to Trujillo. A fire station in Trujillo is named after the State of Washington.

The Peru delegation also signed formal agreements of cooperation this week with Washington State University and with PATH, a Seattle-based organization that will be working with Piura on global health projects.

Members of the delegation include:

1)      Javier Atkins Lerggios, Governor / President of Piura Region

2)    Sandra Figallo de Atkins, wife of President of Piura Region

3)    Juan Manuel Aguilar Hidalgo, General Manager of Piura Region

4)    Porfirio Nicolás Valladolid Frías, Regional Council Member of the province of Morropon

5)   Wilvelder Oswaldo Córdova Correa, Chief, Office of Communications and Institutional Image

6)   Jose Raul Rodríguez Lichtenheldt, Dean of the Universidad Nacional de Piura

7)   Oscar Armando Vásquez Ramos, assistant administrative to the Dean of the Universidad Nacional de Piura

8)    Jorge Viera Sernaqué, director of projects for the Universidad de Piura

9)    Nelson Mío Reyes, mayor of the Municipal District of Matanza

10)   Aura Violeta Ruesta de Herrera, mayor of the Municipal Distritrict of Castilla

11)   Mártires Lizana Santos. Mayor of the Municipal District of Huarmaca

12)   Edgar Guzmán Custodio, Director of the Chamber of Commerce of    Production and Tourism of Sullana

Media note: The Peruvian Consulate is at 3717 NE. 157^th St., Suite 100, in Seattle.  Members of the news media should make arrangements with the honorary consul general of Peru, Miguel Velasquez,  to cover the event.  Velasquez can be contacted at (206) 714-9037 or by email at consulateperu@msn.com

For more information:  Brian Dirks, communications director, (360) 786-7707 or Antonio Sanchez, director of economic development and international relations, at (360) 786-7786.