 by Alaska Lt. Governor Fran Ulmer
Congratulations on organizing such a successful meeting to bring Alaskans and Chukotkans back together to rekindle relations and activities across the Bering Strait! I was proud to be a speaker and participant of the Alaska-Chukotka Summit June 13 in Nome, and I was impressed with the turnout, the enthusiasm, the cooperation, the organization and most of all by the potential for future Alaska-Chukotka ties that can benefit people on both sides of the Bering Strait. I have participated in many international events, from Alaska to Washington to Moscow to Khabarovsk and numerous places in between. I have served many roles, from presiding over the event to giving the keynote address to representing Alaska's interests as lieutenant governor. Rarely have I seen a small city such as Nome host an international meeting and do so with such flair and professionalism as it did for the Alaska-Chukotka Summit. Last year, Barrow showed that it has what it takes to host an international event when the Arctic Council met there. And, certainly, Nome and Barrow are not alone in Alaska in their ability to make small home-town hospitality work on an international level. I especially want to commend Pearl Sedacca who, as chair of Nome's Russian Chukotka Affairs Committee, did a tremendous job. Her collegues at the National Park Service, the Beringia Program and NPS Director Rob Arnberger played an important part in the success of this conference. The Chukotka Affairs Committee, which appears to represent a cross-section of Nome, went all out. Volunteers like Nancy Mendenhall (who was awarded the First Lady's Volunteer Award for her humanitarian aid efforts for Alaskan Friends of Chukotka) donated even more of their time for this event. Mayor Rasmussen, the City Council and the City of Nome can take pride in their open-door policy toward Chukotka. I feel confident they will reap the benefits for their city, the region, and our peoples. Nome businesses were generous in their contributions, and they demonstrated that they are ready, willing and able to do business with Chukotka. Many people in Nome opened their homes, and their hearts, to the Chukotkans. I was impressed that KNOM broadcast the presentations live and with the extensive Nome Nugget coverage, which demonstrates that this was not just business as usual for Nome. Preparing meals for 200 people was no small feat, and Chef Reggie Bright (taking a break from Alaska National Guard duties) and his crew did a great job. But this Alaska-Chukotka Summit was not just a Nome event. It drew many Alaskans from outside of Nome. Alaskans from Barrow to Juneau, from Kotzebue to Kenai, from Little Diomede and St. Lawrence Island to Anchorage, have shown a keen interest in working with Chukotka. Alaska has long worked with the Russian Far East, but we are renewing our ties with Chukotka, and the Alaska-Chukotka Summit 2001 in Nome was an important step in that direction. There is much to be gained that will benefit both Alaska and Chukotka: tourism, trade, transportation, sustainable economic development and business, educational and cultural exchanges, and, of course, cementing the ties between the Native peoples of Alaska and Chukotka. A representative of Chukotka Gov. Roman Abramovich delivered this message to me and to Summit participants in Nome: "Alaska and Chukotka are united by common history. Many of our families are near of kin. And we are neighbors, at last. In Russia we say that a good neighbor is closer than a relative. My thinking is, the time to open the doors of our homes has come." Nome and Alaska have opened the doors to Chukotkans. We have shown that we want to be good neighbors. And I'm sure we will all be better off for it. Again, my sincere thanks and congratulations to the people of Nome and to all those many people in the public and private sector who helped make this event a success. Sincerely, Fran Ulmer
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