THE Welsh Government will seek to promote its presence online by changing its web domain to include .wales and .cymru, the First Minister announced yesterday.

Carwyn Jones told the fiftieth Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers’ (ICANN) conference in London that a switch from .gov.uk will enhance Wales’ global presence.

Other organisations will make the switch, including Sport Wales and the National Museum of Wales, from next September. General availability will start from spring 2015.

The First Minister said: “This provides us with an opportunity to set Wales apart online and promote the unique benefits of our country, both economically and culturally. By securing bilingual domain names we are also able to promote and encourage the use of the Welsh language online.”

The Chair of Nominet, the company responsible for running the .uk domain name registry, Baroness Rennie Fritchie said: “The Welsh Government has warmly endorsed .cymru and .wales right from the start and we are delighted that they have committed to making the switch. This move is a fitting celebration of the beginning of an online space that is truly Welsh.”