E-Governance, International Cooperation and Security - New Millennium Challenges for a Small Country

Talking about Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and their impact on developing countries (DCs), about the information society, electronic-governance and potential “leapfrogs” of these countries into a prosperous future, all this is becoming a common thing for researches, journalists, politicians, and sociologists. Perhaps it is talked more about the possible futures and less about the present, and how this present may condition the future. One thing is sure information and communication technology is changing the world, enriching and integrating communication means worldwide breaking all geographical and social borders. It is important to consider ICT as a key tool in the hands of humanity, and not as an actor playing a key role in the history. It is creating conditions for more economical and political freedom, which may lead to new movements and institutions for democracy [Joshi 1999]. We are at the beginning of a new technological revolution whose consequences is difficult to evaluate. The ICT impacts get shaped as result of the fusion of globalization, worldwide connectivity and knowledge networking [Choucri, 2000]. A revolution makes new power structures to arise over old ones; and always technology has been the catalyst, not the cause [Wriston, 1997b].