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Following is a short statement by the Secretary for Information Technology and Broadcasting, Mr K C Kwong, before the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on co-operation in information and communications technology with Canada this (Friday) morning:

Minister Manley, members of the Canadian delegation, ladies and gentlemen,

It is our great pleasure to gather here today to witness an important development in the bilateral relations between Hong Kong and Canada.

On behalf of our respective Governments, Minister Manley and I will shortly be signing a Memorandum of Understanding on co-operation in information and communications technology. With this MOU, we look forward to an exciting range of cooperative activities that will involve not only the two Governments, but also the IT industry, businesses and professionals as well as the academics of the two places. These activities will add new impetus to the long-standing relations between Canada and Hong Kong.

As the first bilateral arrangement on IT co-operation that Hong Kong has made with its partners, this MOU heralds a new phase in our efforts to keep Hong Kong at the forefront of developments in the information and communication fields. Last year, our Chief Executive outlined in his Policy Address his vision of Hong Kong as a leader in the information age of tomorrow. International cooperation involving both the public and private sectors is a key element in our strategy to realise this vision. We are delighted to make headway in this direction by signing a MOU on cooperation with Canada. I am sure that the mutual benefits which Hong Kong and Canada will derive from this cooperative arrangement will encourage others to follow suit.

Thank you.

End/Friday, May 22, 1998

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