 I express gratitude to the government and people of Romania for their warm welcome and hospitality. At the same time I congratulate the International Telecommunications Union, the ITU, for the exceptional work in organizing this plenipotentiary conference. The rapid pace of technological development is creating a new divide amongst those with access and those without. In response, the government of the Bahamas is moving swiftly to incorporate a comprehensive national digital transformation strategy that will allow for the continued growth and advancement of our people and our country. The first tear in that strategy is addressing the accessibility of digital technologies across our archipelago. The government of the Bahamas is presently offering local telecoms providers a substantial reduction in their communications fees payable to the government to offset their investment of a minimum of $100,000 in emerging technologies. We anticipate as a result a widespread rollout of these technologies and population centers and underserved communities across the Bahamas. In fact, we are already seeing early signs of success with the rapid expansion of fiber optic broadband services. At the same time, we are addressing affordability, especially for the vulnerable amongst us who may be disenfranchised considering the high cost of communications technologies. Connecting the unconnected means bringing the cost of these technologies within the reach of the of our entire citizenry. It is in this vein that the government of the Bahamas partnered with our national telecoms regulator to establish a universal services fund that will subsidize the cost of high-speed internet for those who cannot afford it. These strategies align succinctly with our ongoing commitment to develop a digital society that benefits all Bahamians regardless of geographic locations. We have also invested millions into the rapid expansion of e-government services. I must add that our national efforts are undergirded by the work we do in fora such as this. The ITU is a global champion of digital transformation and the Bahamas fully supports its work. We are a strong voice for our region and other small island developing states and we would like to continue our advocacy with a second term at the ITU council. We request your support for the Bahamas's candidacy and at the same time for a candidate for BDT director Mr Stephen Barrow. With his experience and commitment to ICT advancement across the world Stephen is the best choice to lead the BDT as it builds on its many recent successes. I invite all nations to stand with us as together we embrace a new area of digital communications where all peoples can thrive. Thank you and I wish you a successful conference in Bucharest.