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The International Telecom Union has agreed to assist India in formulating its new telecom policy that will be announced by the end of March.

ITU Secretary-General Oshio Yutsmi conveyed this to Secretary in the Prime Minister's Office N K Singh during their meeting recently in Geneva.

In response to India's request in the context of the new telecom policy, the ITU will make available to New Delhi its experience in evolving the "best international practice" relating to framework for the Telecom Regulatory Authority and the kind of arrangements existing in other emerging markets.

Singh said the ITU's assistance in deregulating and opening up the telecom sector would cover scope for level playing field for Internet and basic services.

ITU's views on the suggestion paper put on the Internet by the Group on Telecom on the draft telecom policy would be conveyed to India before the finalisation of the new policy initiatives, Singh said.

During his meeting with the World Intellectual Property Organisation Director-General Kamal Idris, Singh was told that India is moving in the right direction on the issue of intellectual property rights.

Idris said he is looking forward to his visit to India next week and that he wants the WIPO to play a significant role in the ongoing debate on the globalisation process and help in arriving at a consensus.

Singh said India is actively engaging in the legislative process for keeping its commitment to the World Trade Organisation on patents and intellectual property rights.

On India's view on globalisation, Singh said it should not be confined only to flow of capital, trade and technology, as is the case now.

Free mobility of labour should become an integral part of globalisation to make it meaningful, he said.

At his meeting with the World Trade Organisation Director-General Renata Ruggiero, Singh conveyed India's position that top priority must be given to implementation of the existing trade agreements under the Uruguay round before opening a new round of trade negotiations.

UNI

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