Regional Commonwealth in the field of Communications

12-13 November 2007, in Astana, Republic of Kazakhstan, the regular RCC events: the 38th session of the Board of the Communications Administration Heads of the Regional Commonwealth in the field of Communications and the 12th session of the Coordination Council of the CIS member states for Informatization attached to RCC will be held.

News

On 16-18 January 2008 in Chisinau (Republic of Moldova) the international workshop for the RCC Communications Administrations experts “Economic viability of postal network” and 26th/15th Joint meeting of the RCC Postal Commission and Postal Operators Board will take place.

On 18-19 December 2007 in Moscow (Russian Federation) Joint meeting of Section №1 “Quality of International Postal Network Service” and Section №3 “Economic viability of international postal network and cooperation with interested parties” of the RCC Postal Operators Board is to be held.

On 28-29 November 2007 in Moscow (Russian Federation) the International workshop for the RCC Communications Administrations experts on postal security and meeting of the RCC Action Group on Postal Security (RCC AGPS) will take place.

On 22-23 November 2007 in Paris (France) the international workshop for the RCC Communications Administration experts “Motivation of Postal Sector Personnel under current conditions” and meeting of the RCC POB Section №1 of “Quality of International Postal Network Service” will be held.

On 13 November 2007 in Astana (Republic of Kazakhstan) the 12th session of the Coordination Council of the CIS member states for Informatization attached to the Regional Commonwealth in the field of Communications (RCC) was held.

On 12 November 2007 in Astana (Republic of Kazakhstan) the 38th session of the Board of the Communications Administrations Heads of the Regional Commonwealth in the field of Communications (RCC Board) under the chairmanship of the Minister for Information Technologies and Communications of the Russian Federation, the Chairman of the RCC Board, Leonid D. Reiman was held.

On 9-10 October 2007 in Minsk (Republic of Belarus) the 21/17 meeting of the RCC Telecommunication Operators Board and RCC Telecommunications Commission, at which the 10th anniversary of the RCC Telecommunication Operators Board establishment was celebrated, was held.

Delegations of the Operators Board and RCC Communications Administrations participants..

20 September 2007 in Minsk (Belarus) a joint meeting of the RCC Postal Commission (25th meeting) and Postal Operators Board (14th meeting) was held.

A set of questions of the RCC participants’ mutual interest was considered at the meeting.

From 18 to 20 of September in Chisinau (Moldova) the regular joint 23rd/29th meeting the RCC Commission on Satellite Communications, TV and Sound Radiobroadcasting and Commission on Regulation of Frequency Spectrum Use and EMC was held.

The day before– On the 17 of September – prior to the RCC Commissions meeting the Working group meeting on preparation of the RCC common proposals for WRC-07 agenda items was held aimed to specify the RCC CAs positions, to discuss the procedure of the RCC CAs interaction during the World Radiocommunication Conference 2007 and Radiocommunication Assembly (RA-07).

On 18-19 September 2007 in Minsk (Belarus) the international workshop for the RCC CAs experts “Postal Reform and Network Development” was held.

The workshop was attended by the experts from 12 RCC CAs, heads from RUE “Belpost” regional branches, UPU IB and RCC EC representatives, in general 60 persons.

On 11-12 September 2007 in Kiev at the State University of Information and Communication Technologies a special course of qualifications upgrading “Advanced technologies of wireless access and digital television: operational practices and development prospects” for high and middle level executives of the RCC Communications Administrations and organizations was held.

This course was organized in accordance with the Plan of special courses of qualifications upgrading for high and middle level executives of the RCC Communications Administration and communications organization for 2007 – 2008, adopted by the Decision N16/4 of the RCC Human Resources Development Commission.

On 11-12 September 2007 in Samarkand (Republic of Uzbekistan) the 20th meeting of the RCC Commission on the Economy of Communications was held.

Representatives from CAs of Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Uzbekistan and RCC Executive Committee participated in the meeting. Representatives from Communication and Informatization Regulatory Bodies of the RCC participants’ countries, postal operator FSUE “Russian Post” and telecommunication operator JSC “Kyrgyztelecom” attended the meeting.

From 29 to 31 August 2007 in Geneva, Switzerland, the delegation of the Regional Commonwealth in the field of Communications took part in the ITU Information meeting on WRC-07 for African countries with a view to assist the ATU countries in proposals preparation on the WRC-07 agenda items.

Besides, the representatives of ATU and ITU Radiocommunication Bureau, representatives of other regional organizations participated in the meeting. The RCC delegation included representatives from CAs of Armenia, Russia, as headship of the RCC Commissions on EMC of Radioelectronic Facilities and Sound Broadcasting and RCC Executive Committee.

On 6 -7 September 2007 in Tashkent the 2nd meeting of the Working Group on development and introduction of new telecommunication services attached to the RCC Telecommunication Operators Board was held.

The meeting was attended by specialists from RUE “Beltelecom”, JSC “Kazakhtelecom”, Open JSC “Kyrgyztelecom”, JSC “Moldtelecom”, Open JSC “Tajiktelecom”, Open JSC “Rostelecom”, Open JSC “MTT”, Communications Administration of Uzbekistan, JSC “Uzbektelecom”, RCC Executive Committee. The meeting was presided by the Working Group Chairman Mr. A.Jakovenko, Marketing Director, Open JSC “MTT”.

1st meeting of the RCC Commission for Coordination of Communication Regulatory Bodies Activities (5-6 September 2007, Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyz Republic) was held.

In the meeting representatives of Communications Administrations and independent regulatory bodies of the RCC participants of: Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, RCC Executive Committee as well as the invited persons from Lithuanian Communications Regulatory Authority took part, in all 28 persons.

On 21-22 August 2007 in accordance with the commission of the RCC Board (Decision N 37/7 of 28.05.2007) in Moscow the meeting of the Working Group attached to the RCC Commission on the Economy of Communications was held.

Representatives of Communications Administrations from Belarus, Moldova, Russia, Uzbekistan and RCC Executive Committee attended the meeting.

On 21-22 June 2007 in Tashkent (Republic of Uzbekistan) the International Workshop on broadband and ICT development for improved communication in the Central Asia was held.

The organizers of the workshop were United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Europe (UNECE), Asia-Pacific Telecommunity (APT), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in the Republic of Uzbekistan in cooperation with the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan presented by the Communications and Informatization Agency of Uzbekistan, as well as the Association of Enterprises and Organizations of Information Technologies of Uzbekistan.

Over the period of 19 - 21 June 2007 in St.-Petersburg (Russia) the Strategic Forum “Pochtovaya Troika - 2007” was held. Forum was organized by the Communications Administration of Russia with participation of the RCC Executive Committee.

Heads of Communications Administrations, representatives of national postal operators, manufactures of postal equipment, scientific and financial institutions, businessmen from 26 countries, delegations of the UPU IB headed by Director General Mr. Edouard Dayan, PostEurop headed by Secretary General Mr. Ingemar Persson, RCC Executive Committee headed by Director General Mr. Nurudin Mukhitdinov took part in the Forum proceedings.

On 21 June 2007 in St.-Petersburg, Russia, the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Regional Commonwealth in the field of Communications (RCC) and Association of European Public Postal Operators (PostEurop) for 2007-2010 was held.

The Memorandum was signed by the Director General of the RCC Executive Committee Mr. Nurudin N. Mukhitdinov and PostEurop Secretary General Mr. Ingemar Persson.

Representatives of RCC and PostEurop, as well as the other invited persons took part in the ceremony of signing.

RCC и PostEurop acting as regional organizations and having signed the Memorandum lay the foundations for broad cooperation between the said organizations on priority lines of postal communication development in both regions through exchange of information and experience, coordination of their positions on the questions of mutual interest.

On 19 June 2007 in St.-Petersburg, the 5th Meeting of the Council of Experts of the IPA CIS –RCC was held.

Members of the Council of Experts – representatives of the Interparliamentary Assembly of the CIS member states, RCC working bodies, RCC Executive Committee, as well as the experts and designers of model legislative acts have participated in the meeting. Secretary General of IPA CIS Board Mr. Mikhail Krotov presided at the Meeting of Council of Experts.

On 13-14 June 2007, in Moscow Technical University of Communications and Informatics a special course “Qualifications upgrading for the heads of Personnel Departments of the RCC Communications Administrations, National Informatization Bodies, Regulating Authorities and Telecommunication and Postal Communication Operators” was held.

The course was organized in accordance with the Plan of special qualifications upgrading courses for the high and middle level heads and managers of the RCC Communications Administrations and communications organizations for 2007-2008 adopted by the Decision №16/4 of the RCC Human Resources Development Commission.

On 29 May 2007 in Yurmala (Republic of Latvia) the 11th meeting of the Coordination Council of the CIS member states for Informatization attached to the Regional Commonwealth in the field of Communications (RCC) was held.

Delegations of national informatization bodies of the Republic of Armenia, Georgia, Republic of Belarus, Republic of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Republic of Moldova, Russian Federation, Republic of Tajikistan, Republic of Uzbekistan and Ukraine, as well as the representatives of ITU, UPU, CAs of Azerbaijan Republic, Republic of Latvia, Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Slovenia, CA of Turkmenistan, JSC “Estonian Post”, CIS Executive Committee took part in the meeting.

On 28 May 2007 in Yurmala (Republic of Latvia) the 37th session of the Board of the Communications Administrations Heads of the Regional Commonwealth in the field of Communications (RCC Board) was held.

Delegations of the RCC full members – Communications Administrations (CAs) of the Azerbaijan Republic, Republic of Armenia, Republic of Belarus, Georgia, Republic of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Republic of Moldova, Russian Federation, Republic of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Republic of Uzbekistan, Ukraine and RCC observers – CAs of the Republic of Latvia, Republic of Slovenia, JSC Esttelecom and JSC Estonian Post (Republic of Estonia), IOSC Intersputnik as well as the representatives of International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Universal Postal Union (UPU), the CIS Executive Committee, CEPT, Agency for Electronic Communications of the Republic of Macedonia and National Communications Agency of the Kyrgyz Republic took part in the session.

On 14-15 May in the National Agency of Frequencies (ANFR), France, the 2nd meeting of СЕРТ and RCC representatives on the matters of preparations for WRC-07 was held.

The meeting was arranged in accordance with the decisions adopted at the previous meeting in December, Moscow, and at the joint meeting of the RCC EMC and Broadcasting Commissions and within the framework of the RCC and CEPT cooperation.

On 19 April 2007 in Kiev (Ukraine) joint meeting of the RCC Postal Commission (24th ) and RCC Postal Operators Board (13th) was held.

The meeting was attended by the heads of Ministries/Agencies Departments, Directors General and leading specialists from postal services of the RCC participants altogether 50 representatives.

On 17-18 April 2007 in Kiev (Ukraine) the International workshop “Quality and efficiency of postal communication” was held.

The workshop was arranged by the RCC Executive Committee and Communications Administration of Ukraine within the financial and technical support of UPU IB.

On 13 April 2007, in Baku (Azerbaijan Republic) the 19/18 joint meeting of the RCC Commission on the Economy of Communications and RCC Informatization Commission was held.

Representatives from the Communications Administrations of the Azerbaijan Republic, Republic of Belarus, Republic of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Republic of Moldova, Russian Federation, Republic of Uzbekistan, Ukraine, and also of the Moscow Research Centre (Russia), CIS Executive Committee and RCC Executive Committee took part in the meeting, 24 participants in all.

On 11 – 12 April 2007 in Almaty, Republic of Kazakhstan, the 3rd Meeting of the Steering Committee of the CIS Branch of the ITU Center of Excellence for Europe & CIS and 17th meeting of the RCC Human Resources Development Commission will be held.

During the meeting of the Steering Committee of the CIS Branch of the ITU Center of Excellence the further implementation of the RCC/ITU project will be discussed.

At the RCC Human Resources Development Commission the following issues will be discussed:

- application of ICTs for development in the sphere of (“e-education”);

- gender policy of Administration of Communication of the Republic of Uzbekistan;

- Draft Plan of courses for qualifications upgrading of the executives and specialists of high and middle level of the RCC Communications Administrations and organizations management;

- terminology use at training and qualifications upgrading of personnel.

Draft Agenda of the 17th meeting of the RCC Human Resources Development Commission

From 3 to 5 April 2007 in Bishkek, the Kyrgyz Republic, the 22nd/28th joint meeting of the RCC Commission on Regulation of Frequency Spectrum Use and EMC of Radioelectronic Facilities and Commission on Satellite Communications, TV and Sound Radiobroadcasting was held.

The representatives of the Communications Administrations of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzia, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan participated in the meeting.

18th meeting of the RCC Commission for International Cooperation Coordination (April 2, 2007, Kiev, Ukraine)

Representatives of the Communications Administrations of Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Russia, Ukraine, RCC Executive Committee and ITU area office in Moscow took part in the meeting.

30-31 March in St.-Petersburg the International scientific and practical conference on the introduction of passports with electronic medium, held by the Parliamentary Assembly, the Collective Security Treaty Organization, the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation. During the Conference the 2nd meeting of High Level Working Group on the Information Technologies for New Generation Passport and Visa Documents (HLWG IT NGPVD ) will be held.

During the events participants are planned to familiarize with the experience of creation and introduction of information technologies and passport and visa systems and other identification documents of new generation using biometrical technologies.

On 21-22 March 2007 in Kiev in OJSC “Ukrtelecom” (Ukraine) the meeting of the Working Group on Mutual Settlements of the International Telecommunication Services within the CIS attached to the RCC Telecommunication Operators Board was held.

The meeting was attended by the representatives from the Ministry of Communications and Information Technologies of the Republic of Azerbaijan (Center of international communications and settlements), telecommunication operators: RUE “Beltelecom” (Republic of Belarus), JSC “Kazakhtelecom”(Republic of Kazakhstan), OJSC “Kyrgyztelecom”(Kyrgyz Republic), OJSC “Rostelecom” (Russian Federation), OJSC “Tajiktelecom” (Republic of Tajikistan), JSC “Uzbektelecom” (Republic of Uzbekistan), OJSC “Ukrtelecom” (Ukraine), as well as the RCC Executive Committee.

From 20 to 23 March 2007 in Minsk (Republic of Belarus) the following meetings with RCC participation are to be held:

- 11th International Conference “Comprehensive Information Protection” (20-21 March);

- 5th meeting of the Information Security Commission of the Coordination Council of the CIS member states for Informatization attached to the RCC (22 March);

- 6th Meeting of the Working Group on the Information Security attached to the RCC Telecommunication Operators Board .

On 13-14 March 2007 in Moscow (Russian Federation) joint meeting of Postal Operators Board Section №1 “Quality of International Postal Network Service” and Section №2 “Unification and Integration of Postal Information Technologies” was held.

30 representatives of postal operators from Belarus, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Russia, Uzbekistan, Ukraine and RCC Executive Committee have participated in the meeting.

On 5-6 March 2007 in Saint-Petersburg (Russian Federation) in the Tavrichesky Palace a regular meeting of the permanent CIS IPA Commission on Culture, Information, Tourism and Sports was held.

Representatives of the CIS countries’ parliaments as well as the RCC Executive Committee representative attended the meeting.

At the meeting the following questions, among others, were considered:

• Draft CIS IPA model law “On e-commerce”;

• Draft part of the first model Information Code for the CIS member states.

The purpose of the model law “On e-commerce” is creation of the legal basis for e-commerce, determination of principles of state regulation and support of the activities in e-commerce field as well as establishment of the legal regime for e-contracts and communications for the sale of things, execution of works and provision of services. The law determines the order of information use in e-format in relations between the e-commerce participants. The said model law is being developed by the RCC Communications Administrations proposals.

The draft Information Code is oriented to improvement of the existing legislation in the informatization field and clarification of its provisions. The law determines public information relations. When preparing the draft code the norms of international legal acts regulating relations in information sphere, experience in lawmaking and law enforcement in this sphere of the CIS member states are taken into account. The model Information Code is being developed by the initiative of the Supreme Rada of Ukraine.

Having approved the progress in these model laws development the CIS IPA Commission has recommended to take into consideration remarks and proposals of the CIS countries including of RCC CAs.

Participants of the meeting discussed amendments and additions to the Prospective Plan of model lawmaking and rapprochement of national lawmaking in the Commonwealth of the Independent States up to 2010.

The meeting was conducted in a constructive and friendly atmosphere.

From 2 to 6 March 2007 in Arusha (United Republic of Tanzania) the working meeting of the Director General of the Regional Commonwealth in the field of Communications Executive Committee Mr. N.Mukhitdinov and the Secretary General of the Pan African Postal Union Mr. Jilani Ben Haddada on the cooperation matters in the field of postal communication was held.

To more efficient implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding between the RCC and PAPU of 2002 the Programme of actions up to 2010 was signed. The Programme reflects interests of both organizations in: traditional and new services development; postal services quality improvement and security; advanced information and communication technologies application; human resources development. The participants agreed to create the group of experts consisting of six members – three from each party to implement the Programme.

On 26, 27, 28 February and 2 March 2007 in Geneva, at ITU headquarters, during the Conference Preparatory Meeting, Coordinating meetings of the representatives of RCC and other regional organizations: African Telecommunication Union (ATU), Asia-Pacific Telecommunity (APT), Inter-American Telecommunication Commission (CITEL) and League of Arab States (LAS) on the matters relating to the World Radiocommunication Conference 2007 (WRC-07) were held.

The parties exchanged information on the progress of preparations for WRC-07, discussed the most complicated and of interest to the parties items of the agenda of the coming Conference, its planned structure and principles of nominating candidatures for the WRC governing posts. Great attention was paid to the possible restructuring of the ITU-R Study Groups which is aimed at improvement of the organizational structure and the subjects of the studies.

20-21 February 2007, Minsk, Republic of Belarus, Meeting of the Working Group on Mutual Settlements for Telegraph Services attached to the RCC Commission on the Economy of Communications

The meeting was attended by the representatives of the communications administrations and telecommunication companies from 7 countries, including RUE “Beltelecom”, JSC “Kazakhtelecom”, OJSC “Kyrgyztelecom”, JSC “Moldtelecom”, Ministry for Information Technologies and Communications and Federal Communications Agency of the Russian Federation, CJSC “Rostelegraph”, JSC “Uzbektelecom”, OJSC “Ukrtelecom” and RCC Executive Committee.

Working Group members considered the following questions:

• Results of introduction of settlement rates for telegraph and telex services from 1 January 2006. Consideration of acceptable level of terminal and transit rates for the indicated services in 2007.

• Progress of telegraph network modernization with a view to switching over telegraph main lines to data transmission network channels.

During consideration of the first question the participants noted that the agreement on the settlement rates reduction was agreed with all operators (except OJSC “Rostelecom”, JSC ”Telenet”/Georgia and CJSC “ArmenCell”). The analysis showed that settlement rates reduction had not influenced the subscriber’s rate level at the most operators providing telegraph and telex services. All operators noted the steady tendency to telegraph/telex traffic reducing.

In conditions of information and telecommunication technologies and services convergence and taking into account the present situation on the market of telegraph/telex services the Working Group decided to continue works on telegraph network optimization. Besides, the question of switching over telegraph channels to data transmission network channels was considered and the following decisions were adopted:

• to consider draft algorithm of Telex stations and MSC interaction through digital channels with TCP/IP by 01.07.07. Rostelegraph is responsible for this.

• to finalize the program and methodology for the pilot zone taking into account the proposals of the International Cooperation Department of the Ministry for Information Technologies and Communications of Russia.

In conclusion the meeting participants considered it necessiry to attract to the question of switching over main telegraph channels to data transmission network channels the Working Group on the Information Security of Communication Networks Interaction attached to the RCC Telecommunication Operators Board.

The participants thanked the Communications Administration of Belarus and RUE “Beltelecom” for the Working Group meeting arrangement.

On 7-9 February 2007 in Moscow (Russian Federation) at the Radio Research and Development Institute (NIIR) the meeting of the Working Group on preparation of the RCC Common Proposals for the WRC-07 agenda items and the meeting of the Coordination Group on carrying out digital broadcasting planning exercises in the CIS countries (CGCDBPE) were held.

The representatives of the Communications Administrations of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzia, Latvia, Moldova, Russia, Uzbekistan and Ukraine took part in the meetings.