Eastern Partnership: EU and neighbouring countries boost cooperation on the digital economy

The EU and the six Eastern Partner countries – Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine, have agreed to step up their cooperation on the digital economy: adopting a road map on reducing roaming charges, addressing the cybersecurity threat in a coordinated manner, and expanding e-services to create more jobs in the digital industry.

Commissioner for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn and Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society, Mariya Gabriel agreed with Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Ministers in charge of digital agenda from to boost cooperation on digital economy today at the 10th Informal Partnership Dialogue, Minsk, Belarus. Commissioner Johannes Hahn commented: “The EU will continue to work closely with its Eastern partners in the digital area, for the benefit of citizens across the region. Promoting high-speed broadband internet to boost economies and expand e-services, creating more jobs in the digital industry, reducing roaming tariffs among the Eastern partner countries and tackling cybercrime and cybersecurity is a priority. We are focused on delivering concrete results, with a clear programme for cooperation until 2020.”Commissioner Gabriel added: “Today’s Informal Partnership Dialogue proves that we are on the right path towards a common European digital future. We warmly welcome the commitment of our Eastern partners to achieving the Deliverables by 2020; and thereby helping to build a stronger digital economy bringing direct benefits to the citizens and to succeed the digital transformation. Enhanced broadband connectivity, roadmap for reducing roaming tariffs and cooperation on cybersecurity are just some of the few first steps in the long-term digital collaboration between the EU and its Eastern Partners.” The full press release as well as the factsheet ‘EU develops digital economies and societies in Eastern Partner Countries’ are available online.