Business news

MINSK, 23 January (BelTA) – The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s Special Representative for Eastern Europe Kent Harstedt met with Deputy Director of the administration of Belarus’ Hi-Tech Park Alexander Martinkevich to discuss the development of the digital economy in Belarus and Europe, BelTA has learned.

Kent Harstedt visited Belarus’ Hi-Tech Park on 23 January. The introduction of blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies was discussed during the meeting with top officials of the park administration. In December 2017 Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko signed the Digital Economy Development Ordinance to greenlight these technologies. After the meeting Alexander Martinkevich said that they had had a very interesting discussion. He remarked: “As for blockchain technology, cryptocurrencies, and ICO, the legal environment changes daily and new decisions are made. Today’s meeting was very useful in this regard because we heard what is going on in Europe and told him what is going on in Belarus.”

The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly special representative has heard a lot about projects of Belarusian software companies. Kent Harstedt stressed that tax incentives in the Hi-Tech Park and new legal conditions borrowed from the international practice represented a good message for investors. Foreign partners demonstrate a strong interest in the assimilation of innovations in various branches of the Belarusian economy.