IT and Society: Russia’s e-govt-related projects to be applied to CIS member-states

At the plenary session of the International Economic Forum of CIS member-states “CIS and New Formats of Eurasian Integration” on March 20 (Moscow), the Minister of Communications and Mass Media of the Russian Federation Igor Shchegolev delivered a report where he reminded that according to the decision adopted by the Council of Heads of CIS states the year 2012 was announced the Year of Communications and Informatization of CIS member-states. Such a decision is intended to promote the high level of industry integration within CIS. The main areas to achieve the goal cover the introduction and development of e-govt technologies, unification of use of radio-electronic means and frontier coordination of radio frequencies, and also the formation of transfrontier trust area.

According to Igor Shchegolev, Russia’s experience in building electronic government might bring benefit not only to similar projects underway in CIS member-states, but as a unified form could facilitate interstate interaction. The Minister of the Communications and Mass Media reminded that following the latest survey released by the United Nations, for the last two years Russia has significantly consolidated its positions, and raised from the 59th to 27th place in the e-gov-t development rating and has become the first in the Eastern Europe.

The Inter-Agency Electronic Interaction System which has been developed and launched is said to be a scalable platform at all levels. It enables to exchange electronic data and documents held by different systems and may be applied to electronic interaction between CIS member-states.

In conclusion, the Minister stressed once again that the theme of communications and informatization in CIS states is topical and urgent, as Russia and other Commonwealth states deal with serious projects and are aware of the necessity of such cooperation.