      DECISION ON NEGOTIATIONS ON BASIC TELECOMMUNICATIONS


      Ministers, meeting on the occasion of the conclusion of the Uruguay 
Round,

      Decide as follows:

1.    Negotiations shall be entered into on a voluntary basis with a view to 
the progressive liberalization of trade in telecommunications transport 
networks and services (hereinafter called "basic telecommunications") within 
the framework of the General Agreement on Trade in Services.

2.    Without prejudice to their outcome, the negotiations shall be 
comprehensive in scope, with no basic telecommunications excluded a priori.

3.    A Negotiating Group on Basic Telecommunications (NGBT) is established 
to carry out this mandate.  The NGBT shall report periodically on the 
progress of these negotiations.

4.    The negotiations in the NGBT shall be open to all governments and the 
European Community signing the Final Act of the Uruguay Round which announce 
their intention to participate.   To date, the following governments have 
announced their intention to take part in the negotiations:

      Australia, Canada, Finland, Hungary, Japan, Korea, Mexico, New 
      Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, United States.

Further notifications of intention to participate shall be addressed to the 
depositary of the Agreement Establishing the MTO.

5.    The NGBT shall hold its first negotiating session no later than one 
month from the date of this Decision.  It shall conclude these negotiations 
and make a final report no later than 30 April 1996.  The final report of 
the NGBT shall include a date for the implementation of results of these 
negotiations.

6.    Any commitments resulting from the negotiations, including the date of 
their entry into force, shall be inscribed in the schedules annexed to the 
General Agreement on Trade in Services and be subject to all the provisions 
of the Agreement.

7.    Commencing immediately and continuing until the date (referred to in 
paragraph 5 above) of implementation of the results of these negotiations, 
it is understood that no participant shall apply any measure affecting trade 
in basic telecommunications in such a manner as would improve its 
negotiating position and leverage.  It is understood that this provision 
shall not prevent the pursuit of commercial and governmental arrangements 
regarding the provision of basic telecommunications services.

8.    The implementation of paragraph 7 above shall be subject to 
surveillance in the NGBT.  Any participant may bring to the attention of the 
NGBT any action or omission which it believes to be relevant to the 
fulfilment of paragraph 7.   Such notifications shall be deemed to have been 
submitted to the NGBT upon their receipt by the Secretariat.