<div dir="ltr"><br><div class="gmail_quote">---------- Forwarded message ----------<br>From: <b class="gmail_sendername">Bhardwaj, Manu</b> <br>Date: Fri, Jun 24, 2016 at 12:50 PM<br>Subject: President Obama -- EO Global Connect<br>To: "Bhardwaj, Manu" <br>Cc: "Subramanyam, Suhas<br><br>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Colleagues and Friends: <u></u>
<u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Terrific news from California. At the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) in Silicon Valley, President Obama has just issued an Executive Order that institutionalizes the Global Connect initiative for the
next 5 years. As an EO from the President, it mandates that Global Connect becomes US Law with implications that all U.S. development and financing agencies create fully funded, long term PPPs for broadband globally and to promote economic development. The
EO also highlights the linkage between connectivity and entrepreneurship and how the goal of extending universal, affordable connectivity to the rest of the world is a Presidential priority. Full text of the Executive Order at the White House website, see
below link.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Since Global Connect’s launch only nine months ago,
</span><span style="font-size:14.0pt">U.S. development and financing agencies have surpassed the $1 billion mark in financing and investment for global ICT and connectivity projects, bringing Internet access to millions of people around the world. These efforts
represent the Obama Administration's commitment to closing the digital divide in coordination with other countries, industry, major technologists, other stakeholders. We are pleased that more than 40 countries now support and are committed to the Initiative,
which has three inter-related goals: (1) to make internet access central to all development and growth initiatives, (2) to work with multilateral development institutions to double public and private lending for connectivity and digital technologies by 2020;
and (3) to harness the knowledge, skills, and resources of the tech community itself to implement regional and global solutions for high-speed, affordable broadband access.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">We look forward to working with everyone this summer, fall and beyond at all fora, including the Global Connect Stakeholders Conference in October.
</span><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Pleased with our very strong partnership with IEEE, World Bank, industry, NGOs and all of you on these matters – ensuring that our global initiatives continue to fully complement each other is essential and helps accelerate
progress towards universal connectivity. <u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Please don’t hesitate to contact Suhas or myself with any questions about today’s Executive Order or the Global Connect initiative.
<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Many thanks, Manu<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Full Text of the Executive Order and its Global Connect mandate</span></b><span style="font-size:14.0pt">:
<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2016/06/24/executive-order-global-entrepreneurship" target="_blank">https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2016/06/24/executive-order-global-entrepreneurship</a>.
<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Manu Bhardwaj<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Senior Political Advisor, Office of Under Secretary
<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">U.S. Department of State<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><a href="tel:%28202%29%20647-7327" value="+12026477327" target="_blank">(202) 647-7327</a><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
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