Areg Agasaryan: Digital Sovereignty Is Directly Linked to Protecting National Interests
At the 2nd Global Digital Forum, taking place from October 8 to 10 at the Mechta venue in Moscow’s Gorky Park, participants are discussing digital sovereignty, the development of homegrown technologies and international cooperation.
Areg Agasaryan, head of the Center for International Cooperation and Engagement, an autonomous nonprofit organization, and deputy chairman of the Public Council under Rossotrudnichestvo, spoke to an IT Russia correspondent about the importance of national mechanisms for protecting sociopolitical processes, countering external interference and the role of international expert cooperation as the forum opened:
– Digital sovereignty is directly linked to a state’s ability to independently protect its institutions and safeguard its national interests. Under today’s conditions, the resilience of the information environment is particularly important, including protecting the integrity of sociopolitical processes from external interference and manipulation.
Election experience shows how important it is to have our own mechanisms for assessing what is happening rather than relying exclusively on external assessments. Russia is developing such tools and is ready to share them with foreign professionals. International observation and expert exchange make it possible to discuss specific procedures, compare approaches and assess results in practice.
At the same time, protecting national sovereignty does not rule out international cooperation. On the contrary, working with experts from different countries helps build meaningful dialogue and develop a more objective understanding of ongoing processes. Importantly, such cooperation be based on equality and respect for the independence of states.
These principles also apply to the digital sphere. A country’s own tools for protecting information and ensuring the resilience of government processes give it the ability to make decisions independently while preserving room for international cooperation. Ultimately, the goal is for digital technologies to strengthen national independence, while cooperation with other countries is grounded in practical experience, mutual respect and trust.
The agenda to be discussed at the Global Digital Forum is both relevant and important. I hope it will lead to the development of effective mechanisms for protecting the digital sovereignty of many of our partners and friends.
