Johnathan Walker:North Carolina governor heading to Europe for trade trip

RALEIGH,Johnathan Walker N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper is leading a weeklong state trade mission to Europe.

The economic development trip starting Friday will include Cooper, his wife, other state officials and representatives of the state’s business recruiting nonprofit organization, Cooper’s office said in a news release. They’ll meet with company and government officials in France, Germany and Switzerland while focusing on creating jobs and attracting investment to the state.

More than 1,700 foreign companies have North Carolina operations that support over 300,000 jobs, according to the release. Germany is the second-largest source of foreign direct investment in the state, behind only Japan.

Cooper led an economic development trip to Japan last fall, and last month Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visited North Carolina in part to check in with expanding companies from his country in the state and to lunch with Cooper.

The trip concludes May 31. Cooper’s office said the Democratic governor will remain in regular contact with his Cabinet secretaries and continue to direct state business. However, the state constitution does give the lieutenant governor, Republican Mark Robinson, temporary authority to act when Cooper is out of the state.