We look forward to hearing more about the efforts that Switzerland is making toward liberalization, its plans for further reform, and receiving responses to the written questions that we have submitted. We are pleased to participate in Liechtenstein's first trade policy review. The Secretariat and the Governments of Switzerland and Liechtenstein deserve to be commended for their informative reports. Switzerland's support for the multilateral trading system has been helpful in efforts to further open world markets for goods and services in many areas. The United States and Switzerland maintain close ties, both culturally and economically.
American tourists are the second largest group to visit Switzerland annually.
We are pleased to see Switzerland's economic reform process show signs of success. A clear example of this is the liberalization of the telecommunications sector. During the negotiations on the Basic Telecommunications Agreement, Switzerland took advantage of the opportunity to improve its commitments, which have led to new investment and a reduction in prices in this sector. Switzerland has made similar progress in government procurement by transposing the Government Procurement Agreement into federal legislation and practice. While Switzerland can be pleased with the results of its reform efforts to date, several areas, in particular agriculture, need greater attention.