3rd Eastern Partnership (EaP) Ministerial meeting on Digital Economy in Bucharest

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3rd Eastern Partnership (EaP) Ministerial meeting on Digital Economy in Bucharest

26.02.2019 / Conferences, assemblies

Third Eastern Partnership Ministerial Meeting on the Digital Economy took place in Bucharest, Romania, on 28 February 2019. The Azerbaijani delegation was headed by Elmir Velizadeh, Deputy Minister of Transport, Communications and High Technologies of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and also included:
- Isbandiyar Aliyev, HDM national coordinator, Deputy Head of Department on Innovative Development of the Information Society and E-Governance Ministry of Transport, Communications and High Technologies of the Republic of Azerbaijan;
- Bakhtiyar Mammadov, Deputy Head of Legal Department, Ministry of Transport, Communications and High Technologies;
- Aysel Garibzade, Adviser at the International Cooperation Department, Ministry of Transport, Communications and High Technologies;
- Tofig Babayev, Head of Foreign Relations and Innovations Department at the Institute of Control Systems of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences, EU4Digital: eTrade Network expert, Legal & Financial NCP HORIZON2020 and HDM contact person in Azerbaijan
The aim of the meeting was to discuss the progress of the digital cooperation within the Eastern Partnership (EaP) framework. The participants also addressed the challenges and opportunities of the digital economy in the EaP region. Elmir Velizade made a presentation on the current state of development of digital economy in Azerbaijan.
The participants adopted a declaration, reaffirming the shared commitment to the digital economy, including the Harmonisation of Digital Markets (HDM) among the EaP partners and with the European Union. They also agree to work further towards a common international roaming space, which will include by the end of 2020 the signature of a Regional Roaming Agreement among the EaP partners, which should pave the way towards the reduction of roaming tariffs between EaP countries and EU Member States. The participants agreed to launch a study to support that process and adopt the joint roadmap for the six countries prepared by the Roaming Expert Working Group of their national regulatory authorities for electronic communications and endorsed by the HDM Panel on 7th February 2019.