The establishment of digital monitoring and innovation centers within the framework of the Organization of Turkic States is being proposed, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said at the informal Summit of the Heads of State of the Organization of Turkic States, APA’s correspondent dispatched to Turkistan reports.
“Today, the entire world is experiencing unprecedented changes. New opportunities and new challenges are emerging. Technological competition in the world has intensified even further. States that excel in innovation are moving to the forefront. Technological development has already become a factor of security and stability for states. Countries that fall behind in the process of digital transformation may lose their competitiveness in the future. Therefore, it is important for the member states of the Organization of Turkic States to act together so as not to lag behind technological innovations. The process of artificial intelligence and digitalization opens new opportunities for the development of the Turkic world.
Kazakhstan considers building a digital state as one of its main strategic goals. For this purpose, the current year has been declared the ‘Year of Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence’ in Kazakhstan. An international artificial intelligence center has been opened in Astana. In addition, new supercomputers have been put into operation in the country. At the next stage, the establishment of data processing centers is planned. This creates broad opportunities for regional countries to cooperate with leading technology companies and attract investments.
We are consistently implementing measures to turn Kazakhstan into one of the region’s leading digital hubs. A ‘golden visa’ system has been introduced for foreign investors and highly qualified specialists. Individuals who obtain such visas can use state and financial services on an equal basis with citizens of Kazakhstan. At the same time, new projects in the field of digital technologies and artificial intelligence are being implemented in our country. Important steps are being taken toward the development of digital infrastructure in education, training specialists in advanced technologies, and adapting the education system to modern requirements. Special attention is also being paid to the protection of citizens’ personal data. For this purpose, a new law on the ethical use of artificial intelligence has recently been adopted. This is one of the important steps for Kazakhstan’s future.
In the future, the ‘Digital Kazakhstan’ strategy, which determines the country’s directions for digital development, will continue. Recently, a digital solutions center for sustainable development has begun operating in Almaty. This initiative is supported within the framework of the regional programs of the United Nations. I express my gratitude to you for your support in implementing these projects.
In addition, in March, an international conference on artificial intelligence and digital development was held in the city of Shymkent with the participation of experts from the Organization of Turkic States. This event once again demonstrated the importance of expanding cooperation between our countries in this field. I believe that in the future, new initiatives related to digital security and cybersecurity issues should be put forward. In particular, the establishment of digital monitoring and innovation centers within the framework of the Organization of Turkic States is being proposed. These centers will create new opportunities for member states in the digital sphere. At the same time, it is also important to establish a joint cybersecurity council. Such a body would make it possible to identify the risks our countries face in the digital sphere and form joint defense mechanisms. Kazakhstan has submitted relevant proposals related to these initiatives to the member states of the organization. All these initiatives serve our common interests. Therefore, we must cooperate more closely in this direction in the future.
Dear heads of state, I would also like to put forward several more proposals. First, joint efforts should be strengthened toward the mutual recognition of electronic documents and digital signatures among member states in the fields of trade and economy.
The second issue concerns the space industry. This field is one of the key factors increasing the competitiveness of Turkic states. Our countries have sufficient scientific, technological, and human potential for the development of this direction. In particular, the implementation of joint projects in the fields of satellite communication, navigation, and monitoring could further strengthen our cooperation. This will reinforce our technological partnership and increase our innovation potential,” the head of state noted.
