 Welcome to the ITU studio at GSR23, the Global Symposium for Regulators 2023 being held in Shamashake in Egypt where I've got the great pleasure of being joined in the studio today by historian Bogdan Martin, who is Secretary General of ITU. Historian Bogdan Martin, welcome to the studio. Thank you Max, great to be here. Great to have you here. So, I'd like to start off by talking about these Global Symposium for Regulators. It's an event that you were instrumental in creating more than two decades ago. And as we look ahead to the next decade, how do you see GSR's evolution? Well, as you said, we were created 23 years ago to be precise with the focus on universal connectivity and ways that regulators can exchange and share practices to bridge that digital gap. That purpose is relevant today more so than ever before. We have seven years left to achieve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and we need all hands on deck and that includes the global regulatory community. We're at a critical time for digital technologies and I think the regulatory community, the ministries, the policy makers, the private sector all need to come together to exchange practices and experiences and find the best way forward. Now in the opening this morning you mentioned that tech won't wait and that the next few weeks and months will be decisive. Could you perhaps elaborate on that? Technology is moving at leaps and bounds. I mean, every day we see tech issues hitting major headlines around the globe. And I think that's in part the COVID pandemic and the fact that connectivity was not a nice to have but it was a must have during that pandemic where we saw some 800 million new users come online. And now that we're in a post-pandemic mode I think we have to double down and really make sure that we connect that one-third of humanity that has never been connected. So tech will keep moving, AI keeps advancing, generative AI in particular and we need to make sure that our regulators step up, that they have agility and that they're ready to adapt and respond. And I think this year is particularly important because we have the World Radio Communications Conference coming up. We also have COP28, fast approaching, both taking place in Dubai later this year. Those two conferences will have an impact on digital development I think this decade and also beyond. We also have the global digital compact that's being discussed in global corners, particularly in New York and I think that framework also has key implications for our digital future. Now some would say that this is a significant moment in history. What does it mean for regulation? And what do you think that regulators can do to make the most of this moment? And what challenges and opportunities lie ahead for regulators at this inflection point? I think it's a critical moment for regulators. They need to be focused on creating the right environments that will enable investment. We need to remember we have to keep rolling out that infrastructure. We have to keep upgrading that infrastructure. So putting the right market conditions in place is a critical role that regulators need to be providing. Of course, we want regulators to be innovative. As I said, to be agile, I think that's really important. As the tech sector moves so quickly, some things that are happening today we never could have imagined even just months ago that they would be happening. So really the regulators, I think they need to continue sharing. We need to be convening and trying to find the best way forward for citizens around the globe. And what do you hope people will take away from this ITU event, another major event in ITU's calendar? I hope they will feel that they've learned something, that they've made new friends, new partners, and that they feel that really through good cooperation, through effective collaboration, we can make a huge impact in shaping a digital future that benefits all. Thank you very much indeed for joining us in the studio today and I'm sure we'll catch up again very soon. Thank you Max. Thank you. Thanks. And thank you very much for joining us. Remember we've got plenty more interviews on the ITU YouTube channel as well as our podcast channels and for more information visit www.itu.int. Thank you very much.