The EDB to become the EAEU centre of digital competencies
Almaty, 5 February 2021. The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) will set up a centre of digital competencies for the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). The proposal was made by Askar Mamin, Prime Minister of Kazakhstan and Chairman of the EDB Council, at the Digital Almaty forum.
Askar Mamin’s proposal was supported by the attending heads of government of the EDB member countries – Armenia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia.
They believe that the EDB centre of digital competencies will be a platform to implement the EAEU’s digital agenda and coordinate the creation of common digital platforms and the implementation of IT projects.
The relevant EDB’s powers, as proposed by Roman Golovchenko, Prime Minister of Belarus, will be enshrined in the updated EDB strategy to be adopted in the coming six months.
“The Eurasian Development Bank is fully prepared for such a mission. We have already demonstrated our professionalism in the field of digital technology. In just six months after the establishment of the Digital Initiative Fund, the Bank proposed and implemented a solution for citizens’ travel in the context of the pandemic – the Travelling without COVID-19 app and is already designing the Working in the EAEU service, which will be a breakthrough solution to build a single labour market and promote further the integration of our countries. We understand what is needed for EAEU digital integration and how to implement it,” said Nikolai Podguzov, Chairman of the EDB Management Board.
Additional Information:
The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) is an international financial institution promoting integration and development in its member countries – Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Russia, and Tajikistan. The EDB's charter capital totals US $7 billion. The Bank was established in January 2006 by Russia and Kazakhstan and is headquartered in Almaty. Transport infrastructure, energy, chemical, mining, and mechanical engineering projects with a high integration effect account for the main part of the EDB’s portfolio.
The Eurasian Development Bank’s Digital Initiative Fund (Fund, DIF) was established by the Bank’s Council on 30 June 2020. The Fund’s objective is to assist EDB member states in creating digital transformation tools and practices by integrating information resources and participating in the development and financing of projects, including those implemented under the EAEU 2025 Digital Agenda.
The EDB Media Centre:
Alexander Savelyev +7 (985) 765 23 59 (Moscow)
Azima Sapargaliyeva +7 (777) 750 00 08 (Almaty)
Sergey Gorbachev +7 (916) 727 22 00 (Moscow)