Both Europe and the US said after the Quad summit of Canada, the European Union, Japan and the US in Kobe, Japan last weekend (CI No 2,897) that substantial progress had been made on a pact to open telecommunications markets in the world’s major trading nations to competition. The Telecommunication Authority of Singapore said it would bring forward the liberalization of its basic telecommunications services market by five years to 2002, instead of by 2007 as previously announced. EC trade commissioner, Sir Leon Brittan said the Singapore offer would certainly act as a catalyst, and he thought other countries in Southeast Asia might also be encouraged to make last-minute offers to smooth signing of the agreement.
