 Your Excellency, Prime Minister Inglock Sinawatra, ITU Secretary-General Dr. Hamadun Thure, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, I am pleased to send greetings to the Connect Asia-Pacific Summit and I thank the Government of Thailand for hosting. The Asia-Pacific region is vast and diverse. It has numerous dynamic centers of innovation in manufacturing and information and communication technologies. Many nations have experienced rapid economic growth, yet there is a stark contrast in prosperity and development between high-income countries and the least developed. This is particularly true for landlocked developing nations and small island developing states. Most connectivity can help bridge this gap. I am pleased that this summit will promote the development of innovative ICT infrastructure. I also welcome your focus on applications that can benefit people everywhere. ICTs have considerable potential to support sustainable and equitable economic and social development. They can accelerate our efforts to achieve the millennium development goals. They can help us address global challenges such as climate change. It is important that we make the best use of technology to empower people with information, knowledge and means to improve their lives. Your summit can help us achieve that end. I wish you a successful meeting. Thank you.