ROMANOW WELCOMES MAJOR WHEAT SALE IN THAILAND

Premier Roy Romanow welcomed a $250 million, one million ton wheat sale
in Thailand today, capping what he called a highly successful Team
Canada trade mission for Saskatchewan.

"This is one of the largest contracts signed on this entire Team Canada
mission," Romanow said. "Saskatchewan producers supply about 60 per
cent of the wheat sold by the Canadian Wheat Board. I'm very pleased
that Saskatchewan producers will get such a major direct boost out of
Team Canada. All in all, the mission has been truly beneficial for our
province."

At a signing ceremony in Bangkok today attended by Romanow, Prime
Minister Jean Chretien and the nine other First Ministers on the
mission, the Canadian Wheat Board signed a letter of agreement with
seven Thai flour mills to target sales in excess of one million tons of
wheat over the next five years.

The Thai flour mills are United Flour Mill Co. Ltd., Siam Flour Trading
Co. Ltd., Laemthong Corporation Ltd., Thai Flour Mill Industry Co.
Ltd., Bangkok Flour Mill Co. Ltd., Nisshin-STC Flour Milling Co. Ltd.
and Kerry-Glory Flour Mill Co. Ltd.

At current wheat prices the agreement is worth $250 million. The
return to Saskatchewan producers will be up to $150 million.

At the same signing ceremony, Romanow and the other First Ministers
witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the
University of Saskatchewan and Thailand's King Mongkut Institute of
Technology (KMITL) -- the largest science and technology institution in
the country. The agreement provides for collaboration between the two
institutions in the planning of facilities and programs for a new KMITL
campus in Chumphon province, Thailand. The campus will specialize in
agricultural science and technology.

"This partnership is another example of the University of
Saskatchewan's broadening international ties," Romanow said. "Our
province offers world-class educational services and consulting, and as
we see today, we are finding markets for them around the world."

The major Thai wheat sale and U. of S. agreement cap a series of
Saskatchewan agreements during the trip. Other highlights of the
mission include:

A US $30 million agreement in the Philippines, under which SaskTel
will work to expand rural telephone service in 28 Philippines
provinces;

A US $5 million consultancy agreement under which SaskTel will
assist in the design, construction, operation and maintenance of a
fibre-optics and microwave transmission network in the
Philippines.

An agreement in South Korea between Massload Technologies and
Daelim Scales Manufacturing to jointly produce and market weighing
equipment in Asia -- with an estimated $5 million in first-year
sales;

An agreement between the University of Saskatchewan and The
National Veterinary Research Institute of Korea to jointly develop
and commercialize livestock pharmaceuticals and other
biotechnology;

Discussions with the Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) on
increasing trade and investment in Saskatchewan's northern mining
industry. KEPCO's goal is to purchase 30 per cent of its nuclear
fuel from mines in which it has taken and equity position. The
South Korean utility has already invested in Saskatchewan's Cigar
Lake (2 per cent) and Dawn Lake (4.7 per cent) mining
developments. Korea plans to increase the proportion of its
energy derived from nuclear power by 40 per cent.

Tomorrow, Premier Romanow attends a meeting to advance a new
working relationship between the University of Saskatchewan and
the National Science and Technology Development Agency of
Thailand, an umbrella agency co-ordinating the country's research
and development efforts in biotechnology, telecommunications and
information technology and advanced metallurgy.

A component of this Thai agency agreed in 1996 to a $2.75 million
sponsorship agreement with the TR Labs consortium to work on
telecommunications technology. Both SaskTel and Saskatchewan Economic
Development are member-sponsors of the consortium.

The premier supported young entrepreneurs from Saskatchewan's
Shuttle Craft International and The Edge Models and Talent as they
worked on new market development in all three countries.

In a meeting between First Minsters and Korean President Kim
Young-sam, Romanow discussed lifting barriers to Saskatchewan
value-added trade, and exchanged views on a major South Korean
labour dispute.

In a meeting between First Minsters and Philippines President
Fidel Ramos, Romanow outlined Saskatchewan's trade interests in
the Philippines (including increased sales of speciality crops and
wheat, potash, mining products and value-added products like
telecommunications) and exchanged views on how trading partners
can jointly work to eliminate child exploitation.

In a meeting between First Ministers and Thai Prime Minister
Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, Romanow highlighted Saskatchewan's
agricultural export priorities and expressed the hope that Canada
will be able to build on successes like the Canadian Wheat Board
agreement. Romanow welcomed widening Saskatchewan-Thailand
educational exchanges. He highlighted Saskatchewan's role as a
reliable supplier of potash and uranium should Thailand consider
nuclear generation.

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For more information, contact:

Tim Kydd
Media Services
Regina
Phone: (306) 787-0850