Belarus, South Korea to set up IT cooperation center

The Belarusian Information Technologies and Communications Ministry and the Ministry of Science, Information and Communication Technologies, and Future Planning of the Republic of Korea signed a protocol of intent on establishing a Belarusian-Korean center for cooperation in the area of information technologies on 23 April, BelTA has learned. The document was signed during the IT business forum that gathered representatives of the Republic of Korea, the CIS and Baltic states.

The document was signed by Belarusian Information Technologies and Communications Minister Sergei Popkov and Choi Young-jin, Administrator of the National Radio Research Agency of the Ministry of Science, Information and Communication Technologies, and Future Planning of the Republic of Korea.

Belarusian First Deputy Information Technologies and Communications Minister Dmitry Shedko explained that the Republic of Belarus and the Republic of Korea advance fruitful cooperation at the level of expert groups, by jointly taking part in conferences, and arranging various events relating to information and communication technologies. “We have concluded that we and our Korean partners could do with a permanent agency that will include Belarusian and Korean experts for the sake of sharing the best practices, analyzing current trends, and working out joint decisions,” he remarked.

According to the official, the signing of the protocol of intent on 23 April will result in the establishment of a group of experts on both sides. The experts will follow certain interaction protocols to constantly analyze topical matters concerning information and communication technologies. “Our job is to determine the structure of the center, its composition by 2016 so that we could start working,” explained the First Deputy Information Technologies and Communications Minister.

Dmitry Shedko pointed out that for now Belarus and Korea are pooling intellectual resources although the Korean side expects that some areas will be funded via grants later on. “The matter needs to be discussed more thoroughly,” said the official.

The 22nd international forum on telecommunication, information, and banking technologies TIBO 2015 is scheduled to take place in Minsk on 22-25 April. The forum includes the 22nd international specialized expo TIBO 2015 and the 22nd Belarusian congress on information society technologies. The expo gathered representatives of over 200 companies from 13 countries. Foreign exhibitors account for 20% of the total number, with the share of new exhibitors at about 30%. The number includes major Belarusian and foreign manufacturers of telecommunication equipment, computers and software, security solutions, providers of all kinds of information and communication services.