European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 08, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wiil Magazine Friendship flights to soviet far East by Steve Raymer National geographic he Stern faced soviet Border guard at Khabarovsk his Green Cap bearing the sword and shield of the Kab secret police hammers his stamp on the exit visas of travellers boarding the twice weekly Jet to Japan one passenger pushes an american passport and a tiny Blue and Gold pin shaped like Alaska across the officer s desk try it on it s a souvenir from the other Side of the Pond says the grinning journalist from Alaska one of 10 reporters and broadcasters touring the once closed forbidding soviet far East we re neighbors " indeed they Are hardly a flight arrives in Khabarovsk a City of 600.000. Close to the chinese Border without a delegation of alaskans intent on business ventures or scientific cultural and educational exchanges Khabarovsk is the military administrative and aviation Center of the soviet far East and the Only City in the Region that is officially open to foreign visitors hundreds of alaskans and soviets have crossed the Bering Strait Between prov Deniya on the Chukchi Peninsula and Nome. Alaska during the past year travelling in skin boats ships propeller driven planes and jetliners officials on both sides say the ice curtain that once separated the superpowers has All but melted from cub scouts to opera singers says Gina Brelsford. An Alaska official who oversees exchanges they Are All visiting the soviet far East " visits through Alaska s Back door to the soviet Union were eased in september when Secretary of state James a Baker Iii and soviet foreign minister Eduard a Shevardnadze signed an agreement allowing visa free travel across the Bering Strait for eskimos of both countries the Accord also established a six member Border commission to Monitor trips by the More than 2,000 eskimos of the rival superpowers soviet authorities had closed the Border in 1948 ii did t officially reopen until last year already a Nome based airline. Bering air. Is flying round trip charter flights Between the United states and prov Deniya carrying both Dollar paying Amanca in and Ruthk paying su1 s Alaska gov stove Cowper who helped thaw inc curtain with the first Friendship flight of eskimos and stale officials to the soviet far East  year is a Man with a Mission we re the people who Are geographically and historically positioned to go into the soviet Union and do what we can to bring our two countries together Cowper says i want the russians to see us As something More than a military target Alaska was owned by czarist Russia and we have a lot of alaskans who have a russian heritage " one of Cowper s ancestors was president Van Buren s ambassador to czarist Russia in 1840 not to be discounted says Cowper is alaskans natural curiosity we re adventuresome and we d like to help Over there if we can the possibilities Are enormous " for example Alaska airlines a profitable. Seattle based regional Carrier with routes from Mexico to the Arctic has applied for an International route to Magadan. User and Khabarovsk Alaska fishermen Are negotiating several dozen deals some involving the Exchange of american fish processing technology for rights to fish soviet Waters for King crab and Salmon an Anchorage Alaska businessman Mead Treadwell is negotiating a Deal to assemble 6.000 personal computers a year in Magadan a closed High Security City the parts would be made in the United states South Korea Japan and Taiwan with his National no graphic socially Alaska gov. Steve Cowper a Leader in the Effort to thaw the ice curtain across the Bering Strait exchanges souvenirs with soviet children at the prov Deniya Airport. Ruble profits. Treadwell plans to buy soviet amethyst Reindeer Horn and Beer alaskan and soviet scientists have exchanged visits to study among other things Polar bears mining technology and Medicine at least one russian doctor has assisted in operations at an Alaska Hospital Alaska and soviet Ould Orsmon and melting the ice curtain thanks to relaxed restrictions Between the United slates and the soviet Union the Tow of alaskans and soviets across the Bering Strait is growing. Officials foresee now business scientific cultural and educational opportunities. Women teamed up earlier this year to travel by skis dog sled and Dumiak skin boat More than 1,200 Miles from Nadyr in the soviet far East to Nomo hundreds of Alaska and soviet schoolchildren have exchanged visits linking Anchorage and Nome with prov Deniya and Magadan. Eskimo Village elders from both sides of the Bering Strait have met on u s territory to discuss cultural and family problems u s executives envision possibilities As varied As Oil and Gas exploration on the soviet Side of the Chukchi sea and a new maritime cargo route from the american West coast to Europe through   Ocean using soviet icebreakers dec e the Pace and variety of Alaska soviet ties Cowper and the u s state department inject a note of caution to american businessmen " everybody s anxious to do bushmen says Cowper but let s get a couple of Small things together that work and go from there " Mead Treadwell would like to be one of those who sets the Pace dealing with the russians he says is like a game of seven card stud. You uncover one card know a Little More and bet again " monday january 8, 1990 the stars and stripes Page 13