"Digital sovereignty is not only the ability of a State to control is own digital flows, data and infrastructure, but also the capacity to establish its own rules of the game in the digital space," noted Varos Simonyan. "Moreover, it is not about isolation but about creating a common, secured and technologically interoperable digital space able to become the foundation for robust economic growth, innovation and sustainable integration."
The event participants discussed the most significant digital sovereignty elements for the EAEU countries, support measures from development institutions and best practices for digital transformation in business that might be scaled up to the entire Union.
Azamat Jamangulov, Minister of Digital Development and Innovative Technologies of the Kyrgyz Republic, highlighted further mutual recognition of electronic documents and digital signatures facilitating economic integration and increasing the Union's competitiveness among the important outcomes of the EAEU activities.
Rustam Minnikhanov, Rais of Tatarstan, the Russian Federation, mentioned the role of cyber threat prevention centers given the experience of successfully held global events (BRICS Summit, etc.) and proposed to exchange experience in ensuring cyber security.
Today the EAEU countries face the need to develop their own digital ecosystems, introduce domestic solutions and intensify technology cooperation. All these are exactly the premises of the Digital Union concept being implemented in the Five countries. The concept is aimed at creating a digital environment in line with the four freedoms and is based on three core principles that do not encroach upon national digital sovereignties in any way: compatibility, synchronization, and integration focus.
"We see the pace at which digitalization is advancing in our countries. In the EAEU, digital sovereignty is not an alternative to cooperation. It is its new foundation. The foundation for steady growth, technology breakthrough, and genuine economic integration," summarized the EEC Minister.
The speakers at the event were the EAEU officials and business mission representatives. These were Daniyar Amangeldiev, First Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic and EEC Council Member; Artem Novikov, Chairman of the Board of the Russian-Kyrgyz Development Fund; Oleg Melnikov, First Vice President of Gazprombank; Elnar Subakozhoev, CEO of Alpha Telecom, as well as Yuliya Shlychkova, Vice President, Global Government Affairs and Public Policy at Kaspersky Lab.
The 7th Kyrgyz-Russian Economic Forum was arranged by the Russian-Kyrgyz Development Fund with the support of the Roscongress Foundation.
