 Dear Mr. Chairman, Secretary-General of ITU, Honorable Ministers, Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen, it is my great pleasure and honor to be here on a planned potentially conference of ITU. And on behalf of the Government of Georgia, I would like to express our gratitude and appreciation to the Government of United Arab Emirates for the one welcome and for the excellent organization of this important conference. The newly developed ICTs are strong tools for building the information society and for development of the digital economy. Considering the fact that usage of the ICTs and the Internet became an inseparable part of our everyday life, it is very important to promote the broadband network development to bridge the digital divide between rulers and urban areas on one hand and between the regions worldwide on another. In order to overcome a digital divide in the country, in 2016 the Government of Georgia approved the State Program on Broadband Infrastructure Development in Georgia, which aims to build a fiber optic infrastructure, establish the open access points and extend the fiber optic backbone in areas which are unprofitable for private sector and businesses and they are not planning to invest in. On another hand, the Government of Georgia supports the development of the community networks as a result of the close cooperation with the all interested parties like nongovernmental organizations, international organizations, donor organizations. One of the mountainous regions of Tusheti was covered by the high speed Internet and second similar project is ongoing. This project was recognized as a very good example of DPPP, notably one of the biggest challenges for the Government of Georgia is the strengthening of the transit function of the country, used by its very huge speed of fiber optic backbone linking Georgia to the neighbouring as well as to the European and Asian countries. This will help tremendously with overcoming the existing digital divide between the regions and achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Due to the several legislative changes related to the technological neutralities, Georgian mobile operators were given the opportunity to develop their 4G services and accordingly to the end of 2017 99.7% of Georgia's territory was covered by 4G and 99.9% by 3G Internet. In recent years, the Government of Georgia has conducted successful reforms to develop a knowledge-based and innovation-driving economy. To this end, the Government of Georgia initiated training programs for the ICT specialists. Ladies and gentlemen, last but not least, I would like to draw your attention to the regretful fact that violation of the fundamental norms and principles of the international law continues in the 21st century. As a result, the Government of Georgia don't have a possibility to exercise its legitimate jurisdiction over the entire territory of Georgia within its internationally recognised borders. In insupportable parts of Georgia, Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Trinvali region, which are occupied. The international community must stand together and must stand strong to support the principles of a sovereign equality of the states and must follow the international norms. In conclusion, I would like to thank the entire ITU team for the perfect work performed and wish you all success in your activities. Thank you.