HONG KONG, Aug. 11 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ -- The Global Telecommunications Summit of the Sixth Annual World Economic Development Congress will be held in Hong Kong on September 16-18, 1997. Convening ministers, senior-level government officials and leading industry executives from Asia, Europe, the Americas and Africa, this Summit specifically addresses the strategic challenges in managing, developing and prospering in the highly competitive global telecommunications market. Speakers will evaluate the key issues of concern including choosing strategic partners, markets and technology to expand market reach; structuring projects to attract foreign and local investment; forging public/private partnerships to finance the growth of telecommunications development. The Congress' unique multi-Summit format also facilitates public-private sector dialogue with over 100 ministerial representatives from more than 80 countries. The faculty consists of over 40 senior executive speakers. The private sector will be represented by leading companies including Global One, BT/Concert, World Partners, Hong Kong Telecom, Telstra, Iridium, QualComm Incorporated, Hughes Network Systems, The World Bank, ABN AMRO Bank, and Arthur Andersen. Many countries will be sending Ministers and senior-level officials including China, Indonesia, South Africa, Philippines, Korea, Portugal, and Slovenia. Tung Chee Hwa, Chief Executive Officer, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, will deliver a special keynote address on "The Future Role for Hong Kong." Additional keynote speakers include Milton Friedman, Nobel Laureate, Economist and Senior Research Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University; and Yoh Kurosawa, Chairman, Industrial Bank of Japan, Ltd. This Summit is part of the Sixth Annual World Economic Development Congress, a global forum for senior-level business and government leaders in telecommunications, power and energy, water and wastewater treatment, logistics and distribution, and transportation. Held immediately prior to the IMF/World Bank annual meeting, the Congress will be the first major international business conference to be held in Hong Kong following the transition to Chinese sovereignty. The meeting is specifically targeted at global infrastructure development companies and is comprised of industry- specific Summits. There are two "by invitation only" Summits, the Chief Executive Officer Summit provides CEOs with cross-cultural business perspectives on how to grow companies Asia-wide and globally, as well as a series of "by invitation only" Minister Summits, with Ministers from over 25 countries covering communications and information technology, oil and gas, power and energy, and water. "Pivotal developments in Asia are forcing companies to reassess investment opportunities and worldwide strategies. The Congress is a forum to share insights with leading CEOs and strategic visionaries from around the world," said Vidar Jorgensen, Chairman & CEO, World Economic Development Congress. The Congress has four major keynote themes: The New Economic Order in Asia; Economic, Demographic, Geopolitical Issues; Creating an Environment for Growth through Partnership; Financing Asia's Growth in the 21st Century; and Business in Asia -- 2000 and Beyond. CONTACT: Hong Kong: Clina Owen or Lucy Kung, 852-2521-7088 or [email protected] or US: Kathy Fish, 212-869-7567, ext. 11.