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The following message concerning Asian Heritage Month was released Tuesday by Greg Byrne, Minister responsible for the Population Growth Secretariat.

"May has been recognized throughout Canada as Asian Heritage Month since the inaugural 1993 celebration in Toronto,and continues to be an important event in our province today.

"We all know how important the Asian community has been in building New Brunswick since its early beginnings. Today, I would like to take a brief moment to speak about the importance of this community going forward, as we work together to achieve self-sufficiency for New Brunswick.

"Last week I had the pleasure of announcing a 58 per cent increase in the number of immigrants who chose to be in New Brunswick in the last fiscal year through the Provincial Nominee Program.

"This increase was made possible because of the additional investments our government has made in immigration and settlement, coupled by the high level of support that immigrants receive from community and multicultural organizations when they arrive.

"Of the top five source countries from which immigrants came to New Brunswick, three of them are Asian countries (China, Korea and India). I believe this speaks volumes about the interest Asian immigrants have in being in New Brunswick, and about the welcome they receive when they arrive from communities, immigrant-serving agencies and from groups like the Asian Heritage Society.

"The events that will take place over the coming month in celebration of Asian Heritage month will be invaluable in showcasing New Brunswick as a welcoming province that encourages diversity and promotes cultural awareness. The Population Growth Secretariat is proud to be a full funding partner in these events.

"... Our job as a government is to promote full participation by immigrants in the political, social and economic aspects of our province. With this goal in mind, we have committed to new investments in the multicultural community and with the increased funding in our budget this year, we will deliver on these commitments."