Tomorrow’s International Telecommunication Union (ITU) meeting in Geneva, Switzerland will lay ground for next month’s Connect Africa Summit in Kigali.

State Minister for Energy and Communication Eng. Albert Butare said yesterday that the upcoming summit will be held from October 29 to 30.

It is expected to attract various heads of state and government, among other government and business leaders.

Butate said that five heads of state have conformed attendance. He said those that confirmed are presidents of Uganda, Tanzania, Mali, Burkina Faso and Gambia.

The minister said that Rwanda will be represented at the Geneva ITU talks by a team of telecommunication experts from Infrastructure ministry and Rwanda Utility and Regulatory Agency (RURA).

"They (team) will present to the ITU Ministerial Council what we have so far prepared for Africa Connect Summit,” he said.

The Connect Africa Summit seeks to connect African countries with Information and Communication Technologies (ICT).  It also calls for effective investment plan in ICT infrastructure development to mobilise the world’s human, financial and technical resources to connect everyone on the continent.

According to an ITU release, tomorrow’s talks in Geneva will tackle the union’s future strategy and possibilities.

ICT ministers from 17 countries will attend the Geneva ITU council.  The ministers are from Saudi Arabia, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Italy, Pakistan, Philippines, Syria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ghana, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Tunisia.

Also to participate are representatives from India, Russia and United Arab Emirates.Ends