The Nato Advanced Research Workshop (ARW) “Secure Telematic Applications for National Scale Projects” was organized within the framework of the National Week for Information Technology and the Sixth International Congress “Scientific and Methodological Facilitation of the Development of Informatization and the System of Scientific and Technical Information in the Republic of Belarus. Secure Telematic Applications in National and International Projects”.

The Advanced Research Workshop was held in combination with the Sixth International Congress and was one of the key events of the Belarusian Week for Information Technology which was opened in the National Exposition Centre “BelExpo” by the international exposition PTS'2006 (www.pts.by).

The event was organized under the auspices of:

• The Administration of the President of the Republic of Belarus

• The Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus

• The National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Belarus

• The State Committee for Science and Technology of the Republic of Belarus

• The Ministry of Communication

• The State Military-Industrial Committee

• The Ministry of Education of the Republic of Belarus

• The Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Belarus

• The Belarusian Innovation Fund.

Participants came to the event in Minsk from all regions of Europe, as well as from Asia and Africa. Some represented leading IT organizations and companies from Great Britain, Holland, Germany, Poland, Russia, the Ukraine, Moldova, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Lithuania, Latvia, and Tunisia. Others were working in the leading French and Italian national research institutions which acted as co-organizers of the ARW, namely the Italian Institute of Technology and the French Higher National School of Engineers, represented by Professor Jean-Guy Fontaine.

It should be noted that our IT-forum is so highly regarded that for the first time in the history of the Republic of Belarus a leading international scientific publishing house, IOS Press (www.iospress.com), contracted with representatives of the ARW Organizing Committee to publish the proceedings as part of the NATO research series. The NATO Scientific Committee has provided considerable support for the project, both in the reception of foreign representatives and by providing support for the publication of the materials.

The Council of Ministers of Belarus allocated extra funds for the organization of the event and the publication of the proceedings in Belarus.

We would like to thank the world-leading IT-companies whose representatives came to support and to participate in the event:

• Hewlett-Packard, our traditional partner in the organization of IT-forums

• Cisco Systems, world leader in the marketing of networking equipment

• SAP, the world's number one company in business processes automation.

Active support for the event also came from two major Belarusian software companies, leaders in European offshore programming: International Business Alliance and EPAM Systems.

In addition to general ARW topics, participants in the event discussed progress in the activity of the High Technologies Park, the creation of a corporate network of libraries in Belarus based on the National Library of Belarus, and the newest technologies related to e-government.

There were also presentations oriented towards the creation of a National Scientific and Research Computer Network for the Republic of Belarus, based on the Academic Network BASNET.

An agreement has been made concerning the establishment of an international cooperation between the Italian Institute of Technology and the High Tech Park of Belarus.

Participants heard the following presentations from ARW participants:

• N. Panteley, Minister of Communications and Informatization of the Republic of Belarus

• Vladimir Molozhen, Minister of Information Development of Moldova

• Dr. Valery Tsepkalo, Director of Administration of the High Technologies Park

• Prof. Jean-Guy Fontaine, Research Director of the Italian Institute of Technology and Co-director of the ARW

• Prof. Mikhail Makhaniok, Co-director of the ARW.

Reports from our distinguished foreign guests from leading research centres in France, Italy, Germany, Scotland, Holland, Latvia, Moldova, Russia and the Ukraine also formed part of the event. These presentations are published in two conventional printed versions in both Russian and English and in an e-version on the website of the National Centre for Information Resources and Technologies (www.basnet.by).

It is anticipated that the scientific and practical achievements of the forum will influence both the development of information technologies and their utilization to the advantage of the national economy of Belarus and all participating countries.