We have started a new stage of national action whose objectives are governed by a comprehensive programme. The guidelines and salient features of this programme were represented in a number of meetings and conferences prior to the referendum day. By so doing, we meant that the referendum should not be one on the person of the president himself but rather on his programme for the coming period. Most characteristic of such period is that it starts with a new millennum, where scientific achievements and technological applications compete in an unprecedented way.

In this age, information technology plays an increasingly growing role with a decisive effect on all fields of human activities. Today, the world witnesses new phenomena and orientations urgently imposed themselves on all countries and people by huge world economic blocs and newly created international institutions that perform cross-border roles within a global economy where boundaries are falling apart, markets growing more unified and competition for markets more acute.

In this programme, the proper starting point is that we do not have the luxury of choosing isolation from that huge development imposing itself on the path of human progress. This is because we do not accept to have our interests marginalized or our future opportunities wasted, especially in view of our numerous advantages that qualify us to be part of such progress. We also have diversified and highly qualified manpower, a great time-honoured people. Above all,we have an emerging economy, where all indicators prove an increasing capability to achieve comprehensive development for the common benefit of all categories of the community. Moreover, Egyptian capabilities and skills are being upgraded.

Today, it may not be opportune to talk, in more detail, about this programme that forms a corner-stone of a future vision for Egypt's options at the threshold of the Third Millennium. This will be done, God willing, in our next meeting with the openning of the new session of our venerable assembly. However, I can highlight a number of important facts:

The programme that we are talking about and working on is underpinned by persevering effort exerted since we were assigned responsibility by the people. The corner-stone of the progamme was to reinforce role of institutions in the Egyptian society, entrench the concept of institutionalized state into our political, administrative and social system. It is the concept that guarantees maximum collective participation. It also ensures that objectivity should be the prevailing consideration in policy and decision making. Besides, it is the means that provides stability for public work.

This programme also combines the efforts of both the state and different community institutions together with the role of the individual citizens. Unless concerted efforts by basic partners of development are integrated into one plan that coordinates the three roles, it will be difficult to expect complete success. It is the state's duty to provide suitable environment, set the proper policies that ensure that the right priorities are attained and protect, through the force of law, the balance of interests among all categories of the society. It should also guarantee that the fruits of development are made available to to the interest of all citizens. The state should be always ready to intervene at the right time to set the pace of social mobility in order to preserve social safety.

The duty of the community organizations represented in parties, syndicates trade-unions and non-governmental organizations, is to help expand the right of participation, place a principal part in constantly upgrading citizens' skills, maintain its national entity and seek to achieve harmony between its goals and the requirements of public interest, thus avoiding being a tool in the hand of external powers and groups. These organizations should exercise their democratic and voluntary role without getting involved into a conflict designed to discriminate between citizens' interests or give prevalence to the interests of a specific category at the expense of another.

The duty of citizen is to realize that he is the pivot and object of development and that the amelioration of his life is contingent to his increasing ability to improve his skills and efficiency. He should be also aware that good citizens make up a good society, where every member should have a firm belief in respect of law, keenness on performing the national duty, responsible awarness of the importance of attaining a balance between rights and obligations, freedom and responsibility and the right of individual and those of the group.

We pin great hopes, in the upcoming stage programme, on the role that can be played by Egyptian youth and the tasks that should be accomplished. This can guarantee access by these promising generations to knowledge, efficiency and experience, thus enabling them to cope with a new age whose scientific and technological accomplishments depend on intellectual wealth possessed by nations and creative thinktanks.

As we ask these new generations to catch up with the latest achievements, increase chances of innovation, implant the roots of technology into the national soil, reinforce Egypt's position in the international competitive market, spread the concepts of perfection, quality and innovation, it should be the duty of the state and the community organizations to guarantee, under this programme, the efficency of the education system,upgrade its capability of self-evolution. This will make it more compatible with an age that depends on the flow of efficient use and circulation of information as well as proper utilization in service of the community.

It became a mandatory requirement for our plans and programmes to provide for enlarging the scientific research base, allowing all the guarantees that warrant its freedom. Closer ties should be maintained between research centres and the national production establishments. Incentive structure within the community should be evolved so as to guarantee the attention and care of researchers and innovators. Failing that, we will find ourselves dependent on others' efforts. In return we have to pay a heavy price that undermines our ability to be a competitive part on the world market.

The national work programme of the coming stage rests on a multi-dimensional vision that aims to enhance our ability to efficiently and effectively deal with the new order so as to achieve the optimum use of its positive aspects and curb its negative ones.

The essence of this vision is to enhance the competitiveness of national production corporations so as to increase Egypt's share in the volume of international trade and capitalize on the relative advantages that allow Egypt to assume a better position in the competition market. It is also our aim to enhance the capabilities of a private sector, fully aware of its role and capable of performing its duty and dealing with a world, fraught with acute competition and ruled by strong corporations and blocs.

Thus, it is incumbent upon us to develop our systems and tools so as to face that challenge and pursue the mega projects that open wider horizons for Egyptian development opportunities, create a sound atmosphere to employ advanced technologies side by side with a new generation, of experienced manpower, qualified to absorb modern technology applications and achieve a tangible leap in export, which is still one of the most crucial economic challenges.

In addition to confronting new problems surfacing in this stage, the national work progamme is inspired by a legitimate ambition for Egypt to realize a steady improvement in the income of all citizens, thus moving Egypt to the category of average countries with growing income. This can be achieved through a new national project of a comprehensive technological revival to turn Egypt into a producer of high technology and a base of data industry. In view of its high value-added, this new industry has completely revolutionized quantity and quality standards, realizing a tangible leap in the income levels of a number of countries.

The starting point in this vital project, which I will personally follow up, starting from initiation up to development stages, is to create a highly advanced technological industry, backed jointly by the state agencies and the private sector. We should launch a wide national compaign to eliminate technological illiteracy in the whole community and use computer on a wider scale in schools, institutions, government administrations and non-governmental organizations. Moreover, we endeavour to widely spread training and rehabilitation institutions allover Egypt and motivate the Egyptian labour force to readjust their skills so as to absorb modern technology.

This great project, based on achieving the optimum exploitation of the intellectual, innovative and creative capabilities of Egyptian citizens, represents the real gateway for Egypt into the 21st century.

The technological development of the national work capabilities means to upgrade the productivity of the Egyptian industrial base, make the optimum use of available potentialities and resources, reduce production costs and minimize waste, achieve quality and proficiency. This will enable the Egyptian economy to compete in the international markets and provide new job opportunities generating high income and value-added.

One of the most prominent features of this programme is that it fully guarantees that the social dimension will remain one of the mandatory priorities for every decision in accordance with the state's responsibility of caring about the less able classes. This responsibility constitues a basic element of the legitimacy of rule and a means to maintain social safety and peace.

This will ensure a strong coherent community which gives categories the opportunity to work and participate, cares for the interests of the vast majority and views all the people as partners in development efforts which should benefit every citizen.

Social responsibility has been a part of our basic preoccupation when we stressed the necessity of a gradual economic reform programme. So has been when we confirmed the commitment by the state to provide suitable houses for youths and full care for the family, being the centre of all future orientations.

So has been when we defined deeper dimensions for the development process beyond economic growth. Such dimensions should guarantee that the base of beneficiaries of the development process will be expanded to cover all categories of the community and the quality of life and services will be bettered so as to enable the simple citizen to reap the fruits of development.

This should also enable the low-income groups to improve their standard of living by means of a substantial progamme that backs the establishment of small projects, offering them an advanced priority and convenient finance opportunities the technical aid which facilitates opportunities of success.

Social responsibility will remain a part of basic preoccupation in the future until the social security net will have been extended to cover all citizens and until the community powers, including the state's and other institutions, will have reached a consensus on a new social contract that ensures every citizen a secure future.

These are the salient features of our national action programme for the forthcoming period that will witness a real improvement in performance methods, a change in domestic relationships that can allow the community institutions to prove their ability to allow wider participation and deeper democratic practice. This will also reinforce the right of the majority to organize voluntary initiatives to better the skills of their members. A change of persons will be also made so that new blood will be infused in the body of national action, by introduing competent and qualified persons who can efficiently perform their duties rather than pose burdens to the stable progress of the country.

As I said, some weeks ago, reform and change are a matter of course in the life and history of nations. What really matters is that each reform should be made with the purppose of preserving and redoubling the people's gains and achievements; with due consideration to outstuding performance and expretise available at each site as well as contunued progress and stability of the country.

An accurate balance must be realised between the need for renovation and change in one hand and the requirements of stability necessary for sustained progress on the other. Nations' progress is not reached through random sporadic leaps, but rather through accumulation of achievements over each period.

I need not confirm that I will be, as you have known me, strong in defending the right, supporting the interests of the vast majority of the people, seeking the advice and feeling pulse of the masses in every step and decision, I will give you a real picture of reality no matter how hard it may be. I will protect the freedom of opinion and champion a free and responsible national press that preserves the honour and credibility of the printed word. I will also triumph for a strong-constituted and independent judiciary that treats ruler and people on equal footing based on the rule of law. I will also champion a national private sector that cares for its own interests as equally as those of the society and strikes a balance between its role in development and its social responsibility.

I look forward to a shining future looming through a vigorous present fraught with hope and expectation, already built up through our joint efforts and hardwork. I look forward to a strong cohesive society in which the abilities of all innovators, creative performers, scientists, and researchers prosper within a proper atmosphere, that elevates the value of work as well as duty and views perfection as the criterion for promotion and progress. The society we look forward to is one that gives youth a chance of self-realization and each citizen the chance to have a fruitful job which would help improve his income and his life.

Moreover, I look forward to a strong country that sets its social responsibility as a topmost concern. It is a state that cares for the weak and the needy, pays its utmost effort to maintain stability, persistently adopts crystal clear policies and strikes against corruption and monopoly with the force of law and the powerful institutions, providing a stable atmosphere for development, where all energies can flourish. We do possess numerous strong factors that guarantee a promising future for Egypt.

We have time-honoured people, good citizens who give priority to his national loyality over his personal interest and an experience fraught with several learned lessons which guarantee clear vision. We do have a unique position enhancing Egypt's competitiveness and distinguished regional and international position. This will safeguard our national interest and help us to be part of our advanced world.

May Allah guide us to the right path, keep us away from pitfalls, make justice as a link between ourselves and our folk. He is the Best Custodian and Supporter.