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The Vermont Statutes Online
Title
03APPENDIX
:
Executive Orders
Chapter
009
:
COMMERCE AND TRADE
§
EO9-1. (No. 100-91) [Vermont-Karelia Sister State Relationship
WHEREAS, the
State of Vermont (hereinafter "Vermont") has initiated efforts to
promote personal ties of friendship and commercial relations between Vermont
and the Karelian Autonomous Republic (hereinafter "Karelia"), and
WHEREAS, Vermont
recognizes the profound differences in the histories, societies and governments
of Vermont and Karelia, and desires to achieve a more peaceful world through
greater dialogue and understanding among people of different countries, and
WHEREAS, an
Agreement to encourage and develop personal ties and commercial relations
between Vermont and Karelia (hereafter "the Vermont-Karelia
Agreement," a copy of which is attached hereto), was executed by Madeleine
M. Kunin, Governor of Vermont and Kuzma F. Filatov, former President of Karelia,
on September 9, 1989,
NOW, THEREFORE,
I, Madeleine M. Kunin, Governor of the State of Vermont, by virtue of the
authority vested in me by the Constitution and the statutes of this state, do
hereby direct that:
1) A
"Sister State Relationship" is formally established by Resolution
J.R.H. #129 adopted by the General Assembly in 1990 (a copy of which is
attached hereto) between the State of Vermont of the United States of America
and the Karelian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic of the Union of Soviet
Socialist Republics to implement the Vermont-Karelia Agreement.
2) The Sister
State Relationship shall exist to encourage and develop official and unofficial
exchanges, contacts, and joint projects in the fields of agriculture, child
care, culture and performing arts, education, environment, forestry, health
care, information and journalism, language, law, legislation, sports, tourism,
and other areas.
3) A Sister
State Advisory Group shall be established to develop and carry out the
exchanges, contacts, and joint projects resulting from them.
4) The Sister
State Advisory Group shall be appointed by the Governor, and shall consist of
fifteen members including two representatives from the General Assembly, three
representatives from State agencies, departments or boards, one member from the
Governor's Office, and nine representatives from the private sector. Members
shall be chosen on the basis of their interest in and special expertise with
respect to the exchanges, contacts, and projects developed to implement the
Vermont-Karelia Agreement.
5) The duties of
the Sister State Advisory Group shall be:
a) To encourage
and promote exchanges, contacts, and joint projects between Vermont and
Karelia.
b) To hold
regular meetings and to review and collaborate on any exchanges, contacts, and
joint projects in which the members are involved or interested.
c) To seek
private funding for the Sister State Relationship.
d) To advise and
report annually to the Governor and the General Assembly on matters relating to
the Sister State.
6) The
representatives from State agencies and departments shall provide
administrative support and make available the resources of their agencies and
departments by providing volunteers and in kind contributions.
7) This order
shall take effect immediately.
Dated January 7,
1991.
JOINT
STATEMENT OF INTENTIONS
At the
invitation of Governor Madeleine M. Kunin, the Chairman of the Presidium of the
Supreme Soviet Kuzma F. Filatov and a delegation from the Karelian Autonomous
Soviet Socialist Republic of the USSR visited the State of Vermont, of the
United States of America, from the 5th to the 9th of September, 1989.
Included in the
delegation were the First Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers Lenian P.
Kitsa, the Vice Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet Vladislav V.
Petukhov, Deputy Education Minister Valentina P. Makara and Vladimir G.
Prozorov, chief of the English faculty of the Karelian Pedagogical Institute
and interpreter of the delegation.
The delegation's
visit was in return for the visit of Governor Kunin and a delegation from the
State of Vermont to the Karelian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, November
27-December 1, 1988.
Chairman of the
Presidium Filatov and the Karelian delegation visited Montpelier September 6,
conferred with members of the Legislature, inspected a variety of industries,
educational and health establishments and acquainted themselves with daily life
in Vermont.
The visit of the
Soviet guests reinforced the conviction of both sides that a new constructive
dialogue and openness is developing in relations between the United States of
America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics as a result of the decision
of President Ronald Reagan and General Secretary Mikhail S. Gorbachev at their
1985 summit meeting to encourage people-to-people exchanges.
Both sides
confirmed their desire to encourage friendly ties, develop contacts between
counterpart organizations and institutions, and encourage businesslike
relations between the Karelian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic and the
State of Vermont on the basis of equality and mutual benefit.
Both sides,
recognizing differences in their historic development, express their desire to
enter into greater dialogue and mutual understanding in the interest of peace.
Both sides
jointly declared that a state of friendship exists, in practice, between the
State of Vermont and the Karelian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, and
that a foundation has been laid for the creation of sister-state relations
between the State of Vermont and the Karelian Autonomous Soviet Socialist
Republic.
Both sides
agreed to encourage and develop exchanges, official as well as unofficial,
between the Republic and the State. These would involve short-term exchanges of
citizens, teachers, students, local and state officials and others.
___________________________ __________________________
Kuzma F. Filatov,
Chairman Madeleine M.
Kunin, Governor
of the Presidium
of the State of Vermont
Supreme Soviet
of the Karelian
Autonomous
Soviet Socialist
Republic