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