MINSK, 1 July (BelTA) – Belarus is interested in realizing the digital agenda together with Russia and the Eurasian Economic Union. Deputy Prime Minister Igor Petrishenko made the statement during the plenary session of the 8th Forum of Regions of Belarus and Russia on 1 July, BelTA has learned. The plenary session focused on Belarus-Russia R&D cooperation in the digitization age.
The official said: “Personnel training is particularly important, including the training of a new generation of researchers – technological leaders with the so-called digital thinking. We are interested in realizing the digital agenda together with Russia and all the participants of the Eurasian Economic Union. Moreover, within the framework of the Eurasian Economic Union the presidents of the countries have already approved the main directions of realizing the union's digital agenda till 2025. We are also convinced that in the face of increased sanction pressure on Belarus and Russia the effective use of all mechanisms of the Union State of Belarus and Russia and possibly the introduction of new ones in order to make high-tech science-intensive products should become the key to successfully overcoming the relevant challenges and threats. We support adapting the development of Union State programs to match today's reality.”
According to the deputy prime minister, it is impossible to realize these goals without involving young Belarusians and Russians into R&D efforts and innovation. “We have many examples of realization of joint youth initiatives. It is now necessary to expand their list to include as many young scientists and practitioners as possible into joint actions of our countries with regard to the entire spectrum of social and economic development tasks. The development of a program to support priority youth R&D projects could be an effective step in this direction. Primarily in such vital areas as healthcare, medical and biological studies, green economy. These are the projects young people are interested in. This is why financial support for young scientists, their scientific ideas and startups in the form of grants, including grants from the Union State budget, is important,” he noted.
Igor Petrishenko is convinced it is necessary to pool efforts in order to train workforce for the digital economy and the digital society. “Initially we intend to work out and launch academic mobility programs for Belarusian and Russian university students and professors, create conditions for effective networking interaction of educational institutions. Within the framework of the emerging common information space it is necessary to create a powerful system of counterbalances and counteraction of the negative influence of the destructive information streams that primarily target young people. This topic can become the focus of another Union State program,” he noted. “We believe that more focused unity of efforts of Belarus and Russia in the area of science, education, and youth policy will allow successfully achieving tasks concerning the digital transformation of the economies of our countries for the sake of further increase in living standards of the citizens.”
The Forum of Regions of Belarus and Russia has been held for eight years under the aegis of the upper chambers of the Belarusian parliament and the Russian one – the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of Belarus and the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation. The 8th Forum of Regions of Belarus and Russia began on 29 June to last through 1 July. Most of the events are held in the videoconference mode due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This year's forum is focused on scientific and technical cooperation in the age of digitization due to the special importance of forming common scientific and technological space in the course of integrating the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus.
Taking part in the plenary session are heads of government agencies, ministries, and organizations, representatives of Belarusian and Russian business circles, and digitization experts.
