364.   Under this item I deliver this statement under my national capacity. Bangladesh thanks Japan and other co-sponsors for the presentation of the document IP/C/W/697. Of course, our capital is examining this paper but here are some preliminary observations. 365.   Innovation is important for all Members including the LDCs. Article 7 of the TRIPS Agreement provides, and I quote: "The protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights should contribute to the promotion of technological innovation and to the transfer and dissemination of technology, to the mutual advantage of producers and users of technological knowledge and in a manner conducive to social and economic welfare, and to a balance of rights and obligations". 366.   From our perspective, as an LDC, gap in productive capacities, infrastructure and finance, digital divide, and cross-border data governance are some of the major challenges when we think of the digital trade. This paper proposes, among some key ideas, establishing global IT infrastructure to share information among IP offices as a base. This is a reality that a large portion of our Members lack such a base. In addition, we continue to struggle with inherited challenges including in human and institutional capacity. The paper mainly proposes, as its title suggests, cross-border cooperation among the IP offices. In my delegation's understanding, this may primarily be a subject of further examination in WIPO. The paper talks about WIPO's relevance. 367.   There are several issues proposed in this paper. We are not sure whether all would fit under the scopes of the IP offices. For example, the paper includes the intricate issues of advanced technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and metaverse. We need more information to understand their trade linkages and scopes of our work in the World Trade Organization. In conclusion, Bangladesh supports the idea of exploratory and inclusive discussion through the guided questions listed at the end of the paper. We also look forward to working with interested Members.