Minister of State for Technology Kanaka Herath with the Minister of Railways and Communications and Information Technology of India Ashwini Vaishnaw, Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Secretary General of the International Telecommunication Union pose for a group photo with the Ministers of Telecommunication and Information Technology of the region.
State Minister of Technology Kanaka Herath said that the Regional Office and Innovation Centre of The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) which was inaugurated in New Delhi will catalyze the development of groundbreaking innovations with global implications in the region.
The State Minister of Technology made these remarks on March 22 while attending the opening of the International Telecommunication Union's Regional Office and Innovation Centre in New Delhi, India.
It is particularly noteworthy that State Minister Herath was invited by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the event and share his thoughts whilst representing Sri Lanka.
The inauguration of the International Telecommunication Union Regional Office and Innovation Centre was presided over by the Prime Minister.
Dignitaries, including ministers and heads of institutions from the South Asian region's Telecommunications and Information Technology sectors, along with scholars in the field were in attendance.
State Minister Herath conveyed the warm greeting of President Ranil Wickremesinghe on the inauguration of the International Telecommunication Union Regional Office and Innovation Centre.
The State Minister further said, "India has been a strong ally of Sri Lanka since time immemorial and its assistance to Sri Lanka during our economic crisis will be remembered with deep appreciation. Sri Lanka is presently undergoing a process of digital transformation and the ‘SL UNIQUE DI’ (SRI LANKA UNIQUE DIGITAL IDENTITY PROJECT) initiative has received significant support from India. Thanks to this project, the progress of digital transformation in Sri Lanka is being expedited.
"By 2030, all efforts to construct a digital economy that utilizes modern technologies will have begun. As a first step, an international conference and exhibition will be conducted in Sri Lanka from October to November this year. I would like to invite the ministers of all the nations represented today, especially the Secretary General of the International Telecommunication Union, to join in this international conference and exhibition, which is being organised with the assistance of the World Bank," he said.
"The International Telecommunication Union Regional Office and Innovation Centre in New Delhi is of international significance. Being the origin of invention in the South Asian region, this institution will undoubtedly serve as an essential launch pad for future discoveries boosted by digitalization. It is also a centre for supporting South Asian technical and sustainable development," State Minister Herath said.
Minister of Railways and Communications and Information Technology of India Ashwini Vaishnaw and Ms. Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Secretary General of the International Telecommunication Union, represented that union and the countries of the South Asian region in telecommunications and information technology.
Ministers from the field and heads of institutions were present. M.P.N.M Wickramasinghe, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Technology and R.G.H.K Ranatunga, Acting Director General of the Sri Lanka Telecommunications Regulatory Commission accompanied State Minister Kanaka Herath were also at the event.
The International Telecommunication Union headquartered in Geneva is a coalition of 193 member nations and 900 organisations, including multinational corporations, regional corporations and universities. This organisation is a specialized United Nations agency for international information and communication technologies.
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