Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper welcomed the selection of former Environment Minister Jim Prentice as the next premier of Alberta.

Prentice won a landslide victory to take the seat at the head of the Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta and become premier-designate of Alberta.

"I look forward to working with Mr. Prentice on issues of importance for Albertans and all Canadians, including the economy, responsible resource development and job creation," Harper said in a Saturday statement.

Prentice served previously as the nation's environment minister. In 2012, he said delays from Washington on the cross-border Keystone XL oil pipeline were regrettable, but should encourage the federal government to expand its export options to other markets like Asia.

Canada sends nearly all of its oil to the United States and Prentice said the country would never get a fair value for its resources unless it expands its export options beyond North America.

Prentice said in his victory speech he had "big dreams" for "an Alberta at the forefront of both energy development and environmental awareness."

Harper's administration has reached out to Asian economies. A U.S. decision on Keystone XL is delayed still over legal issues in host state Nebraska.