Kazakhstan Pushes for More Digital Integration at Eurasian Economic Forum
ASTANA – Bakytzhan Sagintayev, chairman of the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC), introduced the Digital Union initiative during the Eurasian Economic Forum in Yerevan on October 1. The aim of this concept is to showcase the concrete advantages of deeper economic integration in the Eurasian region for businesses and the general population.
Sagintayev explained that the concept has received approval from the relevant departments of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) states responsible for digitalization, as reported by Kazinform.
The Digital Union concept is based on three key principles outlined by Sagintayev. These include the necessity of compatible regulatory and infrastructure solutions for development, ensuring synchronization and seamless interaction of national digital platforms, and integrating digitalization across all four fundamental freedoms—goods, capital, services, and people—at a pace and scale that aligns with the readiness of member states.
During the plenary session, Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov also addressed the audience, which included heads of government from other EAEU member states such as Armenia, Belarus, the Kyrgyz Republic, and Russia, as well as Uzbekistan as an observer state and the first vice president of Iran as a trade partner.
Notably, Iran has expressed interest in obtaining observer state status within the EAEU. The decision to grant this status to a foreign partner will be made by the Heads of the EAEU member states at the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council’s meeting.
Bektenov emphasized Kazakhstan’s commitment to promoting digitalization within the EAEU. He stressed the importance of fully implementing the union’s integrated information system, which aims to facilitate seamless interstate exchange of data and electronic documents among member countries, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s press service.
