I. Need for Adopting a Pro-Active Strategy for the Development of Electronic Communications and Information Technologies in the Republic Of Macedonia The need for adopting a National Strategy for Development of Electronic Communications and Information Technologies stems from the Law on Electronic Communications (Official Gazette of RM 13/2005) and the basic generally accepted premises pertaining to the future development of the Republic of Macedonia. According to the Law, the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia should adopt the Strategy, for the competent institutions to fully implement it. The obligation to create a proactive ambience and environment to support the development of the information society is also defined in the Initiative i2010 of the European Union. The National Strategy for the development of Electronic Communications with Information Technologies is based on the priorities of the i2010: creation of a single information space with an open and competitive supply market for access to electronic communications services and digital contents, promotion of the development of the information and communication technologies as an engine for the development of the digital society, and the creation of an inclusive Information Society by overcoming the digital divide. Conditioned by the limited natural resources and the weak competitiveness of the exported products produced mainly by the labour-intensive industries of the economy, a clear determination of the Republic of Macedonia, as one of it's strategic determinations for an accelerated economic development, is to direct and use human resources and knowledge capital as backbone for achieving the goal that it has set for itself. This corresponds with the priority given to accelerating the economic growth by providing equality (by satisfying the needs and resolving the challenges that people face, in both urban and rural environments, different ethic communities and equality in the right to access information) and ultimately reducing poverty. The National Strategy’s mission is to include the economy of the Republic of Macedonia on the world map of networked economies, to create conditions for leap frogging by way of aggressive introduction and massively and efficient use of electronic communications and information technologies, that will allow in the following 5 years the Republic of Macedonia to approximate the average of the new EU Member Countries, measured against all more important indicators, including both ICT indicators and the purely economic indicators. Taking account of the fact that the introduction of the Information Society in the Republic of Macedonia is directly dependent on the level of development on the supplyside, i.e. on the advancement of the communication infrastructures and technologies and the level of development on the demand-side, i.e. the use of services and contents, the two strategies (The National Strategy for the development of Electronic Communications with Information Technologies and the National Strategy for Development of the Information Society ) will represent a strong instigator for a balanced economic process Page 4 of 40