GERMANY: Chancellor Angela Merkel opens world's largest IT and telecommunications fair in Hanover

Record ID: 784442

  • Title: GERMANY: Chancellor Angela Merkel opens world's largest IT and telecommunications fair in Hanover
  • Date: 3rd March 2010
  • Summary: MERKEL AND ZAPATERO COMING INTO ROOM WITH SCHOOL CHILDREN / MERKEL SITTING DOWN AND SHAKING HANDS WITH SCHOOL CHILDREN MERKEL SITTING WITH SCHOOL CHILDREN CHILDREN SITTING WITH ZAPATERO AT COMPUTERS MERKEL USING COMPUTER TO CONTACT CHILDREN IN SPAIN SCHOOL PUPIL AT COMPUTER CLOSE OF ZAPATERO MERKEL SITTING WITH SCHOOL CHILDREN MEDIA FILMING VARIOUS OF MERKEL STANDING WITH SCHOOL CHILDREN
  • Embargoed: 18th March 2010 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Germany
  • Country: Germany
  • Topics: Domestic Politics,Science / Technology
  • Reuters ID: LVAAB3U8MTXV7Y4G2RZUAJO3T9UX
  • Story Text: CeBit, the world's largest trade fair, showcasing digital IT and telecommunications solutions, on Tuesday (March 2) opened its doors to an expected half a million visitors.
    German Chancellor, Angela Merkel was in Hanover with Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Zapatero representing the CeBIT's official partner, Spain.
    More than 4,100 companies from 68 nations across the globe are exhibiting at the tech event.
    The motto for 2010 is 'connected worlds' as the fair focuses on the potential of the internet and net connectivity.
    Merkel, welcomed Zapatero, who is in Germany as his country announced its February unemployment figures. Joblessness in Spain rose by 2.03 percent and government forecasts suggest unemployment could rise to 19 percent this year.
    Despite the gloomy forecast Merkel praised Spain's contributions to developments in IT technologies.
    "It is a good opportunity for Spain and a good insight for Germany to see how closely we can work together in this area and to see Spain's accomplishments in the last years in the areas of information and communications technology," the Chancellor said at the fair's opening tour.
    The fair is looking to bounce back this year after the electronics sector was also dented by the financial crisis.
    Along with a surge of 3D gadgets Microsoft is expected to unveil its new 'smart' classroom where schoolchildren can interact with multi-touch whiteboards.
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