APEC MINISTERIAL FOR TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND

UNCLAS STATE 020803

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: APECO ECPS ECON
SUBJECT: APEC MINISTERIAL FOR TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND
INFORMATION, APRIL 23-25 IN BANGKOK, THAILAND



1. THIS IS AN ACTION CABLE. SEE PARA 5.


2. The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member
economies and invited observers will gather April 23-25 in
Bangkok, Thailand, for the seventh ministerial meeting on
Telecommunications and Information Policy (TELMIN 7). A
meeting of APEC TEL Senior Officials (TELSOM) will precede
the ministerial on April 20-22. Ambassador David Gross from
State/EEB/CIP will lead the delegation. Meredith Baker,
Acting Administrator for the National Telecommunications and
Information Administration (NTIA),and a senior
representative from the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) will also attend.


3. The theme of TELMIN 7 is: "Digital Prosperity: Turning
Challenges into Achievements." There are also several
subthemes which will serve as topics for ministerial plenary
sessions, including:
- "Challenges and Strategies to Promote Universal Services"
- "Changing Market Profiles and Flexible Regulatory
Frameworks"
- "Promoting a Safe and Trusted ICT Environment for Digital
Prosperity"
- "Enhancing Outreach Activities on Cybersecurity"
- "ICT Human Capacity Building for a Prosperous Future"


4. The APEC TELMIN 7 will produce two main output documents:
The Bangkok Declaration and the Action Plan for TEL
activities. In addition, the schedule envisions a
"tri-partite dialogue" that will bring together ministerial
delegates with the private sector to discuss
telecommunications policy. Although still in process of
finalization, the tripartite dialogue's themes will draw from
the main subthemes listed above.


5. ACTION REQUEST: The TELMIN 7 schedule also affords an
excellent opportunity for bilateral meetings among
participants. Ambassador Gross and the U.S. delegation are
keen to meet with as many APEC ministers as possible during
the TELMIN. The U.S. delegation would be pleased to assist
posts advance any telecommunications-related issues during
the bilateral meetings and asks for posts' assistance in
providing the delegation in advance specific background notes
and talking points that it can employ in the bilaterals. In
addition, Department requests that posts reach out to their
host economy to elicit information regarding the head of
delegation who plans to attend the TELMIN (usually from the
ministry in charge of telecommunications affairs),relaying
Ambassador Gross' interest in holding a bilateral meeting in
Bangkok, and requesting a biography for use by the U.S.
delegation (if post does not already have a biography on
file). In return, posts may pass on a copy of Ambassador
Gross' biography, which can be downloaded at
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/biog/46292.htm


6. Contact point for the U.S. delegation is John Rodgers,
EEB/CIP/MA, RodgersJR@state.gov. Please send all information
to him on the unclassified OPENNET system. If posts require
more background information regarding the ministerial, he can
also send this per email request.
RICE