MINSK, 1 June (BelTA) – Digitization is supposed to advance the real sector of the economy to a new level. Belarusian Communications and Informatization Minister Konstantin Shulgan presented a report titled as “From regional digitization projects to the common digital market of Eurasia” during the plenary session of the 3rd Eurasian Digital Forum (EADF) on 1 June. The forum was held as part of the 27th international information and communication technology forum TIBO 2021, BelTA learned from the Communications and Informatization Ministry website.
According to Konstantin Shulgan, the integration of digital technologies into all spheres of life is a key condition of technological advance. Digital technologies change the structure of the world economy. On the one hand, it requires radical changes in technology, culture, principles of creation of new services. On the other hand, it expands opportunities and prospects. “At present we face the task of effectively using the available opportunities for infrastructure development, the modern scientific potential for the sake of transition to a new digital reality by means of intensive use of innovative technologies,” he said.
In his words, modern digital technologies should become part and parcel of education and healthcare. Security problems need to be successfully resolved. For Belarus digital transformation is a priority specified by the internal contour and the external one of the government policy. Belarus boasts a highly developed infrastructure.
Konstantin Shulgan continued: “The complicated situation caused by the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 became a new challenge for the entire world. In these conditions digital technologies became an effective way of minimizing negative consequences of the pandemic. Mechanisms of distance learning and remote work were successfully worked out and practiced. Approaches to the organization of online meetings, negotiations, and forums were successfully implemented. I'd like to note that the Eurasian Development Bank has successfully implemented the project ‘Traveling without COVID' for the sake of citizens of our countries.”
According to the communications and informatization minister, digital trade is growing more and more actively in the international space. “Belarus does not shy away from this digital progress. This is why in 2021 the government program meant to guide the country's digital development in 2021-2025 was expanded with important measures and events meant to develop digital trade. Those measures include the creation of a national trade and manufacturing cooperation platform for Belarusian companies and the creation of an integrated system for digitally cataloging Belarusian products for the sake of setting up a common market of the Eurasian Economic Union member states,” Konstantin Shulgan said.
At the same time the reality stresses the need to move away from regional or industry-specific digitization projects towards a common digital market of the Eurasian Economic Union, the official believes. “The common market of goods, services, and capital without barriers, exemptions, and restrictions can be formed only through the digital transformation of the private sector and of state oversight on the basis of digital transparency. The speed of such changes will determine the future competitive ability of countries on the international digital market,” Konstantin Shulgan is convinced.
Konstantin Shulgan also noted that it is of extreme importance to enable favorable and trustful conditions for legally binding interstate data exchange between natural persons, legal persons, and government officials, government agencies of the Eurasian Economic Union member states. The development of the transboundary trust space will make digital interaction faster, he believes.
The official said: “There is no doubt that the dynamics of realization of digital projects in the Eurasian Economic Union depends on our efforts and infrastructure development and digital development of every Eurasian Economic Union member state. Digital sovereignty and effective data exchange represent some of the most important moments in integration processes. Belarus actively supports the joint implementation of digital projects in the Eurasian Economic Union space. At the same time the realization of joint projects requires concerted efforts of all the participants at the country level and the international level. Only when this condition is observed, will we be able to achieve the necessary results with regard to the choice of the most effective solutions and to the reduction of the time requirement and financial costs of implementation of digital projects.”
