ALMATY, 2 February (BelTA-TASS) - Focusing on the national cryptocurrency model will not be the right thing to do. The Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) countries need to adopt a common approach to the matter, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said at the forum Digital Agenda in the Era of Globalization held in Almaty on 2 February.
“What do I have to say about cryptoassets? In any case, we should not be focused only on national policy. Our counterparts have just said that cryptocurrencies could be used for payments. I suggest we pay more serious attention to it as our economies are far too closely linked,” Dmitry Medvedev said. “It will be impossible to implement these principles in one country. We should align our approaches at the Union level,” he stressed.
According to Dmitry Medvedev, there is a need to develop international conventions on cryptocurrencies. “Otherwise, this will go in an absolutely different direction and will look unclear or illegal,” the Russian prime minister stated. He emphasized the need to synchronize the efforts that the EAEU member states have been making in the area.
“I would like to dispel the euphoria that currently reigns here and in other venues. It will be wrong to think that all of us, even the most developed countries, will be able to advance the digital agenda within a short period of time. The differences between the countries are too huge. Digital inequality is still big,” the Russian premier said. He stated that back then, in 2000, the G8 summit discussed digital inequality for the first time. “Can we say that we have managed to overcome it? We have not. Yes, digits have already become an integral part of our economies, but digital inequality is still in place,” Dmitry Medvedev stated.
In his words, digital inequality is the “key moment”. “As long as there is digital inequality, between our five countries (Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan), or in the CIS, or in Europe and Asia, and on the planet in general, it will be impossible to talk about the universal digital agenda,” the Russian premier said.
On 2 February, Almaty is hosting the forum Digital Agenda in the Era of Globalization. The purpose of the meeting is to work out joint measures for the development of digital economies, enhance competitive ability.
