コロラド州訪問団歓迎夕食会における知事挨拶

平成20年11月19日

Governor Ritter and Ladies and Gentlemen, good evening, everyone. Tonight I am truly pleased to welcome all of you involved in the delegation from Colorado. We sincerely appreciate this opportunity to have you here.

Colorado and Yamagata first entered into our sister-state relationship in 1986. During the past 22 years, we have engaged in a wide variety of exchange activities, including youth, cultural, and educational exchanges.

There is a particularly active relationship between Colorado and Yamagata in the field of education. In March of this year, Colorado State University and Yamagata University formed a partnership. Including this new partnership, there are now 7 universities and other educational institutions in Yamagata that have either a sister school relationship or a partnership with Colorado, and there are 9 Colorado Universities and educational institutions that have a relationship of this kind with Yamagata. Every year, students go on exchange trips between Colorado and Yamagata, and the bond between Colorado and Yamagata in the field of education continues to be strong.

In 2006, I had the honor of visiting Colorado myself. I was struck by Colorado’s beautiful nature, and while there I was able to witness Colorado’s impressive educational and research institutions and its cutting edge IT and aerospace industries in person.

In our prefecture, we have a long history and deeply rooted tradition of manufacturing and craftsmanship. This tradition still exists to this day, and it can be seen in the fundamental technologies used by the wide variety of companies in the electronics and automobile industries in Yamagata.

Furthermore, our “Outline of Basic Policies for Yamagata Prefecture” for 2009 establishes a “Global Strategy for Exchange,” which aims to expand exchange inside and outside of Japan in any policy fields. In order to overcome the current trends of decreasing population in Yamagata, its globalization is essential to bringing in new energy in the form of capital, human resources, technology, knowledge, and information from both inside and outside Japan to our prefecture. Additionally, we hope to publicize the appeal of Yamagata to both Japan and the world and draw both material resources and human resources to Yamagata. We hope to advance this plan along with the citizens of Yamagata in all areas of policy.

In particular, we aim to build upon the foundation of mutual friendship between Colorado and Yamagata created by our shared history of exchange. We hope to create opportunities for mutually beneficial technological exchange that will strengthen the ties between Colorado and Yamagata and lead to future economic and technological developments for all parties.

I know that Governor Ritter and the other members of this mission to Japan will only be here for 2 brief days, but I hope that while you are here we could develop our deeper mutual understanding between Colorado and Yamagata, and furthermore, I hope that we will have the opportunity to fully discuss the future enhancement of the relationship between Colorado and Yamagata.

Finally, I would like to express my sincere hope for the future prosperity of Colorado and for the health and happiness of Governor Ritter and everyone involved in your mission to Japan.

（概要）

本日は、ビル・リッター知事をはじめとするコロラド州関係者の皆様、ようこそ山形にいらっしゃいました。心から、歓迎申し上げます。

本県とコロラド州は、1986年に姉妹県州の盟約を締結して以来、22年間にわたり、青少年、文化、教育等の幅広い分野で交流を行ってまいりました。

特に、教育分野では、本年3月に山形大学がコロラド州立大学と提携を結び、これで現在県内7つの大学などの教育機関が、コロラド州の9つの機関と姉妹・提携関係を結び、毎年学生が行き来するなど、活発な交流が行われています。

私も2006年にコロラド州を訪問させていただきました。美しい自然環境のもとで、充実した教育・研究機関が整備され、ITや航空宇宙など先端産業が集積している姿を目の当たりにしたところであります。

一方、本県には、長い歴史を持つものづくりの伝統があります。その伝統を活かし、様々な基盤技術を持つ電機や自動車関連などの企業が集積しております。

さらに、来年度の「県政運営の基本方向」において、人口減少社会を乗り越えるために不可欠な本県のグローバル化を目指し、資本、人材、技術、知恵・知識などの国内外の活力を取り込めるよう、国内外に向けた本県の魅力の発信、人的・物的資源の誘致など多様な交流の拡大を図る「世界を見据えた交流戦略」を、県民とともに、すべての政策領域を通じて展開することとしております。

特に、多くの交流実績を持つコロラド州とは、これまでの友好関係を基礎として、互いの県州が持つ技術などを活かした交流への展開を図り、今後の両県州のさらなる発展につなげてまいりたいと考えております。

今回、ビル・リッター知事はじめコロラド州の皆様は、本県には2日間というたいへん短い御滞在ではありますが、山形県とコロラド州の相互理解を深めるとともに、今後の交流について、幅広く意見交換をさせていただきたいと思います。

最後に、コロラド州の益々の御繁栄と、ビル・リッター知事をはじめ御参会の皆様の御健勝を祈念いたしまして、御挨拶とさせていただきます。