During the opening ceremony, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan Olzhas Bektenov and United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of ESCAP Armida Alisjahbana delivered speeches.

The event is also attended by the Vice Minister of ICT Policy of the Ministry of Science, Information and Communication Technologies of the Republic of Korea, Song Sang Hun, the First Deputy Minister of Industry and High Technologies of Armenia, Gevorg Mantashyan, the Chief Economist of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China, Dong Shen Gao, the Deputy Minister of Communication and Information Technology of Iran, Reza Bagheri, the U.S. Coordinator for International Communications and Information Policy, Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy, U.S. Department of State (Washington, D.C.), Ambassador Mr. Stefan Lang, and others.

The conference aims to promote more inclusive digital economies and societies in the Asia-Pacific region, as well as to develop digital cooperation to bridge the digital divide, strengthen digital connectivity, ensure quality digital skills education, and enhance trust and security in the digital environment.

The conference focuses on issues of digital inclusion and transformation aimed at accelerating the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the region.

ESCAP is one of the five regional commissions of the United Nations, serving as an inclusive intergovernmental platform in the Asia-Pacific region. The Commission facilitates cooperation among its 53 member countries and 9 associate members in finding solutions to sustainable development challenges.

Hosting the conference in Kazakhstan highlights the country's leadership in digital technologies and opens new opportunities for attracting international investments and partnerships.

Kazakhstan will showcase its achievements in digitalization, which will contribute to the development of IT exports and strengthen the country's economic growth. It is also an excellent platform for sharing experiences and presenting young technological projects and startups to digital experts from around the world.

In his address to the nation last year, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan emphasized the strategic goal of transforming Kazakhstan into an IT nation, noting achievements in digitalization and the volume of exports from the domestic IT sector. The government was tasked with increasing IT services exports to one billion dollars by 2026.

During the conference, it is expected that several important memorandums and agreements will be signed between the member countries of ESCAP, aimed at strengthening regional cooperation in digital technologies. One of the key outcomes will be the adoption of the Astana Ministerial Declaration, which will outline the next steps to accelerate digital transformation in the region.

In addition, meetings between Kazakhstan's Minister of Digitalization, Zhaslan Madiyev, and representatives of more than 20 countries' digital ministries are planned to further cooperation.

It should be noted that the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Digital Inclusion and Transformation is being held in Kazakhstan for the first time—a country without direct access to the sea but with a strategic location and a high level of development in digital technologies and innovations. The proposal to hold the ministerial conference in Kazakhstan was unanimously supported by all member countries at the 79th session, underscoring the country's important role in promoting digital technologies and sustainable development in the region.

Source: MDDIAI