The 3rd StrategEast State and IT Eurasian Forum started on November 9th in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.  Multiple prominent speakers participated in the Forum opening, including Akylbek Japarov, Prime Minister of the Kyrgyz Republic; Anatoly Motkin, President of StrategEast Center for a New Economy; Dastan Dogoev, Minister of Digital Development of the Kyrgyz Republic; Sonata Coulter, Charge d’Affaires, Head of the U.S. Embassy in Bishkek; Ayten Rustamova, Regional Head of the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan for the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD); Arkadiy Dobkin, President of EPAM Systems; and Keith Krach, Former Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy and the Environment.

In particular, Sonata Coulter, Charge d’Affaires, Head of the U.S. Embassy in Bishkek spoke about the importance of the IT sector:  “As a long-standing partner of the Kyrgyz Republic, the U.S. is committed to promoting sustainable economic growth and increasing economic ties between our countries. I see no sector with greater potential to achieve this goal than IT. The United States actively supports the development of the IT sector in Central Asia.”

Dastan Dogoev, Minister of Digital Development of the Kyrgyz Republic, told about the effects of digitalization:“Digitalization has positive effects, in particular strengthening partnerships to create a connected, inclusive, sustainable environment. The high demand for new knowledge and technologies places great obligations on us, we must be ready for constant changes. Today, the introduction of digitalization has radically changed the interaction of society, business and the state.”