BelarusDigital.Vision conference has started in Belarus. Speakers from Belarus, Estonia, Poland, Ukraine, Russia, the USA and other countries discussed best practices in building a digital state and digital economy.
Opening the conference, Max Bogretsov, IT entrepreneur, member of the Coordination Council noted that digital society is not the future. “Many things are already available in Belarus – technical talents and competitive advanced developments. Without technology we would not be where we are now in the process of development of our society. IT entrepreneurs and technology-based businesses facilitated the emergence of the middle class which the Belarusian society lacked. This new class started a new wave of movement and change.”
Sergei Guriev: “Today’s Belarusian economic model is in a dead end. For 15 years, it had stayed afloat due to subsidies from Russia and in the last 10 years, the Belarusian economy has stagnated. But these problems can absolutely be resolved. If the public wants to fight corruption and build a transparent society, there will be partners to help solve the economic problems. Why do democratic countries help? Democratic values are based on the idea of having rich and prosperous partners nearby without the need to fight with each other. It is beneficial to have a peaceful rich partner rather than an enemy close to you.”
Tatiana Marinich, member of the Coordination Council, said at the opening of the BelarusDigital.Vision conference that Belarus is able to become one of the most advanced digital societies in the world. “Based on our own experience we understand that it is impossible to ensure transparency without digital management and, thus, restore people’s trust in the government institutions. Platforms like Golos are already helping in counting votes during elections and they are tools trusted by the society. Talented Belarusians are able to transform the last dictatorship in Europe into one of the most advanced societies of the future in no time. To do that, there is only one thing we need – freedom.”
BelarusDigital.Vision conference is held in partnership with the Coordination Council.
