 Mr. Chairman, Honourable Ministers, Secretary-General ITU and other elected officials, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen, allow me to begin by expressing my gratitude to the people and government of Romania for the kind hospitality for organizing this event in the beautiful city of Bucharest. We are confident that under your leadership this planning potential conference will become a memorable success. Mr. Chairman, for more than a decade, Islamic Republic of Iran has chosen ICT as a key driver for its economic growth. At the government level, appropriate bodies were established to facilitate the development of ICT infrastructure. As a result, we are diligently implementing a mega project to provide optical fiber access for 20 million locations across the country to connect homes and offices. At the same time, mobile phone coverage has reached more than 100 percent and we are providing connectivity to the unconnected in more than 90 percent of rural and remote areas. The government is also providing more opportunities for research and studies on ICT, including emerging technologies. Other ICT-related programs include child online protection, provision of services and content for persons with disabilities, and specific needs. Also, the special programs are implemented to promote the participation of women in ICTs. Iran has also developed prevalent local green ICT structures and platform such as online stores, e-banking, shared transportation, and VODs. Additionally, Iran has applied ICT in health sector, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic and in the development of smart government services. Mr. Chairman, distinguished delegates, in this fast-changing world, we do believe that promoting the role of ITU has become indispensable. We have participated dynamically and positively in ITU activities and meetings and have contributed to achieve consensus on many difficult and sensitive issues. We hope that you would enable us to continue this role by your votes to Iran's bid for re-election to ITU council. I thank you for your attention and wish success for this conference.