Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Uzbekistan’s Minister of Digital Technologies Sherzod Shermatov has called on CIS countries to strengthen cooperation in the digital sector and act as strategic partners rather than competitors, the ministry’s press service reported.
The statement was made at the 67th meeting of the Council of Heads of Communications Administrations of the Regional Commonwealth in the Field of Communications (RCC), held in Doha as part of the 2026 Plenipotentiary Conference of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
The meeting was chaired by Shermatov, who heads the RCC. Participants also included ITU Deputy Secretary-General Tomas Lamanauskas, heads of delegations and authorised representatives of the Commonwealth member states.
During the meeting, the minister outlined Uzbekistan’s digital transformation, the development of modern telecommunications infrastructure, efforts to expand public access to digital services and reforms in information and communication technologies.
Shermatov stressed the importance of sharing experience and providing mutual support among CIS countries. He said this approach would strengthen each country’s digital capabilities and enhance the international standing of Commonwealth member states in the digital sector.
Participants also discussed coordinating the work of RCC member-state delegations at the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference, supporting regional candidates and agreeing on joint proposals to be presented during the conference.
Particular attention was paid to the ITU’s priorities for the next four years. The areas discussed included:
- narrowing the digital divide;
- developing telecommunications infrastructure;
- expanding international cooperation in artificial intelligence;
- strengthening trust and security in the use of information and communication technologies.
Participants highlighted the need for RCC countries to develop a common position on these issues.
