What is at stake here is not simply the sovereignty of national telecom regimes. Rapid and radical changes in technology can be a global factor for progress. Even if we can, we resist the growing tide of changes at great cost. What is at stake is expedient and ready access to information, the most important raw material of the 21st century. Through an open and liberalized telecommunications regime, all countries, developed and developing, can exploit this raw material for the benefit of our people.
Basic telecommunications is only one of the key components of the information age.
To fully tap what IT can offer, it is necessary to ensure that relevant equipment is widely available at the lowest possible cost. It is not simply a tariff removal exercise but one that will greatly amplify the benefits of our efforts to liberalize basic telecommunications. Singapore supports the ITA initiative. We stand ready to join the ITA and look forward to achieving the maximum outcome possible by the end of this meeting. It is in our interests, individual and collective, to safeguard the credibility of the WTO and the multilateral trading system it represents.