One of the preconditions for the development of the telecommunications sector is the introduction of international standards in this sector. The Georgian National Communications Commission actively collaborates with the European Telecommunications Standards Institute in order to get acquainted with General European, Harmonized standards and to introduce them.

On 20-21 November 2001, the Commission became the associated member of the European Telecommunications Standards Institute, on the reunion of the General Assembly of the Institute.

The official responsibility of the European Telecommunications Standards Institute is standardization in the sectors of telecommunications, broadcasting and post in Europe, as well as in main aspects of informational technologies. The institute includes 56 member countries. 36 of these countries are plenipotentiary members and 20 are associated members. The Institute also includes 20 observers.

The Standards of the European Telecommunications Standards Institute are not used in only European countries but also in countries outside Europe. Therefore, the organization has an important role in the matter of general standardization.

On the 44th reunion of the General Assembly of the European Telecommunications Institute, the Commission proposed more active collaboration to the Institute. The collaboration should have included the support of the Commission in regions in the matter of introduction of General European Standards.

For theses purposes, in 2-5 May of the current year, the senior technical officer of the Institute, M. Adrian David Scrais, visited the Commission. Meetings were held with the Commission, the Ministry of Economical Development of Georgia and the Trade Chamber of the United States. As a result of meetings, the plans of future active collaboration of the Georgian National Communications Commission with the European Telecommunications Standards Institute have been determined.

The collaboration with the Institute is a precondition for recognizing and introducing the European Standards in the telecommunications sector of Georgia. This will enable our country to become the plenipotentiary member of international telecommunications sector.