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Efficient digital transformation of EAEU requires synchronization of States' efforts
The Eurasian Economic Union countries should synchronize their activities and accumulate resources for the most efficient digital transformation. This was the opinion of participants in the session “EAEU Digital Transformation" held at the Eurasian Economic Forum on May 24.
As stressed by Varos Simonyan, Minister in charge of Internal Markets, Informatization, Information and Communication Technologies of the Eurasian Economic Commission, the EAEU countries should not isolate themselves from the outside world and should not compete internally.
“We should act as a unit. We see digitalization not only in the context of providing a digital framework, but also as a good tool for boosting economies and removing barriers,” Varos Simonyan said. “In order to strengthen digital sovereignty, we should make active use of the scientific and technical base that exists in our countries, complementing each other and taking advantage of all cooperative opportunities”.
According to Askhat Orazbek, Vice Minister of Digital Development, Innovations and Aerospace Industry of the Republic of Kazakhstan, one should learn to harmonize national legislation with the Eurasian agenda.
“Kazakhstan is not ready to transfer even a fraction of its digital sovereignty to any organizations, including international ones, but this does not mean that we cannot interact to provide our citizens with the opportunity to receive the entire range of functionality and services in each other’s territory”, Askhat Orazbek emphasized.
“Competition and free market should lie at the root of all documents we adopt in the Union. This will have a very beneficial effect on the entire high-tech sector, in particular, digitalization,” Avet Poghosyan, Deputy Minister of High-Tech Industry of the Republic of Armenia, expressed confidence.
The session attendees agreed that the EAEU States could not ensure full import substitution in the IT sphere in isolation from each other.
“As a rule, implementing solid projects within one country makes no sense, based on the fact that a lot of effort will be spent, but the effect will be small,” noted Pavel Tkach, First Deputy Minister of Communications and Informatization of the Republic of Belarus.
Focusing on import substitution within one's own country is a dead-end path of development. This was stated by Askhat Orazbek, Vice Minister of Digital Development, Innovations and Aerospace Industry of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
“History shows that any isolation gradually leads to degradation. I think we should consider import independence and import substitution in a broader sense, in terms of the Eurasian Economic Union,” Askhat Orazbek said.
This opinion was supported by Indira Sharshenova, Deputy Minister of Digital Development of the Kyrgyz Republic. “If we take and accumulate our possibilities, and redistribute our functions, I think we will handle this situation very well”, the Deputy Minister noted.
The solution to existing issues is seen by the attendees in the joint development of the digital environment and the use of cooperation opportunities.
“If we cooperate, then our market becomes much larger, and our companies find it much easier and more interesting to work on these markets,” said Andrey Zarenin, Deputy Minister of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media of the Russian Federation.
