17 b) that transit countries, in the exercise of their full sovereignty over their territory, have the right to take all measures necessary to ensure that the rights and facilities provided for landlocked countries in no way infringe upon their legitimate interests, recognizing a) the importance of telecommunications and new information and communication technologies (ICT) to the development of LLDCs and SIDS; b) that current difficulties of LLDCs and SIDS continue to adversely affect their development, noting that access to international optical fibre networks for LLDCs and the laying of optical fibre across transit countries are not specified in the infrastructure development and maintenance priorities in the Almaty Programme of Action, conscious a) that fibre-optic cable is a profitable telecommunication transport medium; b) that access by LLDCs and SIDS to international fibre-optic networks will promote their integral development and the potential for them to create their own information society; c) that the planning and laying of international optical fibre call for close cooperation between LLDCs and transit countries; d) that, for the basic investment in laying fibre-optic cable, capital investments are required, resolves to instruct the Director of the Telecommunication Development Bureau 1 to study the special situation of telecommunication/ICT services in LLDCs and SIDS, taking into account the importance of access to international fibre-optic networks at reasonable cost; 2 to report to the ITU Council on measures taken with respect to the assistance provided to LLDCs and SIDS under resolves to instruct 1 above; 3 to assist LLDCs and SIDS to develop their required plans containing practical guidelines and criteria to govern and promote sustainable regional, subregional, multilateral and bilateral projects affording them greater access to international fibre-optic networks, instructs the Secretary-General to bring this resolution to the attention of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, with a view to bringing it to the attention of the United Nations High Representative for LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS,