 Welcome to the ITU studio here at the World Rody Communication Conference WRC 23 in Dubai in the United Emirates, where I got the great pleasure of being joined in the studio today by Ekaterina Imedate, who is the Commissioner for the Georgian National Communications Commission. Ekaterina, welcome to the studio. Hello Max, I'm pleased to be here at WRC and in the studio. Now, we've seen each other at a few ITU events. This one in particular is a very long and convoluted conference, but it's an important one. And I wanted to find out why is it important to you for you to be here? Yes, thank you very much. The World Rody Communication Conference is the most important venue today, which is deciding about the future of the wireless communications sector. So it's precisely important for countries like mine and every country in this world to be actively participating, because important decisions about the scarce resource allocations are taken. Here about the mobile communications as well as about the future of satellite communications. And Georgia has an ambition to be kind of the leading country in digital and cocosus regions. So for us, both areas, mobile communication, satellite communications are crucially important. So we're trying to follow the important topics, be proactive. In general, the work of radio communications units at ITU is very important for us, and especially now when the decisions are made during the next several weeks. So it's a pleasure, it's honour and high importance to be here. So what's the radio communications scene like in Georgia? So radio communications is the key enabler of digital, and as our country has high ambitions about evolving the digital economy. So telecommunication has the highest focus. As a regulatory authority, we're trying to work more, concentrate more on the work of market opening, opening the country for innovative technologies, for new entrants, etc. So also taking care of the things like our regulatory approaches are harmonized with the approaches on the other sides of the world, which ITU provides the best perspective on that, how to harmonize, for example, a spectrum, how to set the standards for technology. This is very important also from here to take back to our country. So it means that Georgia will be open for the global players in the future for the provision of telecom services. Now we're very pleased to see you here, not just because you come all the way from Georgia, but of course because you're a woman and because there are ambitions to increase the representation of women here at the World Radio Communication Conference. What do you think about this particular initiative? There was a gender resolution that was passed as well. I wanted to get your impressions of that. Yeah, this is very important topic I also follow. I also wanted to mention that I'm actively following initiatives like Network of Women by ITU and I was part of it back in Shablan Sheikh during the regulatory conference. So I know there is a resolution about the gender equality and this is part of the SDGs. So its gender equality focus is something now also the Madam Secretary General is very much supporting and the initiatives also like Women in GovTech, Women in Cyber, I'm trying to be part of the mentorship and this particular area which is more like radio communications usually is less represented by women unlike for example regulatory venues where you can find more women but I think that this is also crucially important that the radio communications directions will to be more and more represented by the women decision makers women on the leading positions where the equity and equality and open system of the wireless communications is decided. Has the gender landscape changed in Georgia for example since you've been working in the industry? Gender equality at the level of the experts was not an issue in Georgia but still the biggest challenge is remaining for the women at the leading position decision making positions but of course this is gradually changing and also being part of the mentorship programs or being more present on technology venues or radio communications venues is something I think I can support this journey for the young ladies. Because you trained as an engineer is that right? Yes. And then did you work in the private sector and then went into the government sector is that right? Yes, that's true. Actually my first education is physics and IT technology so yes I have this passion for technology and I all the time encourage, try at least to encourage young ladies to be more proactive and try not only be good engineers or experts but maybe try themselves as a leader in technology which is more important for inclusive environment. Coming back to the conference what do you hope will be some of the outcomes that will make the most importance coming from this conference? I think the very important decisions as we follow are now taken about the future of satellite communications and the future of the next generation space services. This will be the ecosystem where I think each country can find its niche to increase the digital systems as well as how to allocate the next generation mobile services like next to the 5G and 6G. This is something also we want to be part of the bigger mobile global telecommunications system. Thank you so much for joining us today and hopefully we will catch up with you again at another ITU conference. But in the meantime thank you very much and we hope you have a great success here at the conference. Thank you. I wish great success to ITUWRC. Thank you so much for interviewing me and it's a pleasure always and each and every time. Thank you very much. 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