Kazakh Information Minister calls on Turkic Council countries’ colleagues to join technology alliance

ALMATY. KAZINFORM - Minister of Information and Communications of the Republic of Kazakhstan Dauren Abayev has called today on his colleagues from the Member States of the Turkic Council (the Cooperation Council of Turkic-Speaking States) to deepen integration in the field of info-communications, Kazinform correspondent reports.

"The integration of the Turkic world, the intensification of cooperation between our countries is one of the top priorities of the foreign policy pursued by the Head of State Nursultan Nazarbayev. Presently, this interaction is actively developing in the economic sphere, politics, culture, education, and other sectors," Dauren Abayev told today's meeting of ministers in charge of information and communication technologies of the Cooperation Council of Turkic-Speaking States.

Alongside this, he highlighted that there is an enormous and so far underused potential in our countries' cooperation in terms of the development of information and communication technologies.

He told the meeting participants about the digitalization development in Kazakhstan. According to the minister, Digital Kazakhstan government program aimed at a profound socio-economic transformation through high technologies has been implemented since last year.

"However, these projects are executed not without reason. After all, over the years of independence, a modern info-communication landscape has been created in the country. For instance, over the past 10 years, the number of Internet users in Kazakhstan has increased from 8% to 76%. E-government was created and is actively developing, and around 30 million public services were provided by its means last year alone. Cities and towns across the country are covered by fourth generation communications. Projects to ensure broadband Internet access in rural areas are being implemented," the minister told the attendees.

Dauren Abayev underscored that for the high-quality introduction of 5G in the country, the radio frequency spectrum is released in three different bands. Besides, the Astana Hub - International Technology Park for IT Startups - was created within the infrastructure of the EXPO 2017 international exhibition in 2018.

"Tomorrow, technoparks of the Eurasian Economic Union Member States will sign an integration declaration. In this regard, I call on our partners from the countries of the Cooperation Council of Turkic-Speaking States to join this promising technology alliance as well," said the Minister of Information and Communications.

The minister highlighted the project for the creation of the Trans-Eurasian Information Super Highway (TASIM) initiated by Azerbaijan. It aims at building a transnational fiber-optic line covering the countries of Eurasia from Frankfurt to Hong Kong.

All participants of the meeting thanked the Ministry of Information and Communications of the Republic of Kazakhstan for the hospitality.

Kazinform earlier reported that Almaty hosts the Third Meeting of Ministers in charge of Information and Communication Technologies of the Cooperation Council of Turkic-Speaking States.