Opinions & Interviews

MOSCOW, 8 February (BelTA) – Digital technology has become a part of Belarus’ national strategy, Minister Counsellor of the Belarusian Embassy in Russia Yuri Yaroshevich noted at the conference “Designing the future and horizons of the digital reality” taking place at the business and cultural center of the Belarusian Embassy from 8 to 9 February. The conference is dedicated to digital economy development in the Belarus-Russia Union State, BelTA learned from the press service of the embassy.

According to the diplomat, Belarus has adopted a policy to enable as favorable conditions as possible for IT companies, remove all the barriers to cutting-edge technologies, and form an innovation ecosystem. Ordinance No.8 on digital economy development signed in December 2017 has become an essential step in this direction. The document has created the necessary conditions for the dynamic development of IT and competitive advantages for attracting technologies, investments, leading specialists and companies from across the globe.

Yuri Yaroshevich also recalled Belarus’ initiatives voiced by Prime Minister Andrei Kobyakov at the forum “Digital Agenda in the Era of Globalization” in Almaty, Kazakhstan in early February 2018. The first initiative is about the integration of digital infrastructure in the EAEU, introduction of common standards, and joint physical infrastructure management. The second one is about the EAEU member states switching from a coordinated policy in the digital sphere to a single policy.

Anatoly Lazarevich, Director of the Institute of Philosophy of Belarus’ National Academy of Sciences (NASB), read out a message of greetings from Chairman of the NASB Presidium Vladimir Gusakov. According to the latter, scientists of the NASB and the RAS Keldysh Institute of Applied Mathematics have set a task to carry out a comprehensive interdisciplinary analysis of digital economy development in the context of prospects and risks of information society development, for the first time in the history of cooperation in the Union State. The scientists have come up with a number of new approaches at the junction of information technologies, which can give a considerable boost to Belarus-Russia economic cooperation.

It is important to formulate a common opinion on digital economy development in the Belarus-Russia Union State, Deputy President of Russia’s Academy of Sciences Vladimir Ivanov told the media. “The Belarusian and Russian scientists should team up and work out a common position on digital economy development and prospects of scientific and technical development,” he remarked.

The conference is dedicated to various topics, from digital world economy and cryptocurrencies to educational robotics, from new age art and reflexive governance to new transport systems which have become possible in virtual reality. The conference is centered around the Union State digital economy development programs, their prospects, and risks of digital reality.

The event has brought together specialists of Belarus’ and Russia’s leading scientific institutions: the RAS Keldysh Institute of Applied Mathematics, the NASB Institute of Philosophy, the RAS Institute of Philosophy, Belarusian State University, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Bauman Moscow State Technical University, and also specialists and experts in digital economy.