Putin and Touré discuss ITU’s role on Internet

A top-level meeting between Russian Premier Vladimir Putin and ITU Secretary-General Hamadoun Touré in Geneva earlier today spent a significant amount of time focussing on making the international organization more relevant to the Internet.

A press release from the ITU identified global access to ICT as the main discussion topic. However, discussion of Internet governance and how to increase the ITU’s role within it was added to the agenda at Touré’s request, we understand, most likely in response to the G8 Declaration in Paris last month that saw no mention of the ITU in a long text about the Internet.

According to the press release, “Mr Putin referred to the importance of information technologies, in particular Internet services, which have a key position on the international agenda.”