Corbett Says European Trip Is For Business Not Pleasure

By Tony Romeo

HARRISBURG, Pa. (CBS) - Governor Corbett is defending his decision to head out on a trade mission to France and Germany this weekend.

Governor Corbett says the trip to Lyon and Paris in France and Stuttgart and Dusseldorf in Germany is not a junket. He says he'll be attending 48 meetings over six days and believes there's real value in going overseas in an effort to drum up business for Pennsylvania.

"I had a meeting with the German ambassador two weeks ago, I believe it was, in Washington DC. What we've learned is they like to see the head of the state," Corbett said. "They like to see the president, they like to see the head of the state when you come over there. Alan Walker, my head of DCED [Department of Community and Economic Development] could go over, but they want to get to know the head of state government, in this case."

The governor says the trip is being financed by the non-profit group Team Pennsylvania and that representatives of three universities – Drexel, Pitt and Carnegie Mellon – will also go along on the trip.