AI, Digital Sovereignty and International Projects: Day Two of the Global Digital Forum
Export opportunities for Russian IT products, the use of AI in urban governance, and criteria for countries’ technological independence were among the key topics on the second day of the 2nd Global Digital Forum in Moscow.
At the high-level plenary session “Digital Sovereignty: From Resource to Export Asset,” participants discussed how Russia could help countries in the Global South build their own smart ecosystems and develop distinctive IT products. The practical agenda also included exchanges of experience between cities and preparations for further cooperation between Moscow and Minsk.
From a National Resource to an Export Offering
The main focus of the discussion was the shift from developing domestic technologies to deploying them abroad. Participants explored how Russia could help countries in the Global South narrow the digital divide. This broadened the scope of cooperation beyond supplying individual products to consider whether countries can use advanced technological tools independently to meet their own needs. Veronika Nikishina, Chief Executive Officer of the Russian Export Center, took part in the discussion.
According to Pablo Julio Pla Feria, Deputy Minister of Communications of the Republic of Cuba, restrictions on access to technology, infrastructure, services and financing make digital development more difficult for Cuba, but also encourage the country to develop its own solutions. As an example, he described Cuba’s national platform, developed by the country’s Center for Digital Government. It went live in July 2026 and brings together more than 300 government services and procedures. This experience shows that technological independence is achievable.
The session treated digital sovereignty not only as a resource for national resilience but also as an area for international cooperation. For customers, obtaining a ready-made software product is only part of the equation; they also need to be able to operate and develop the platform over time. Export strategies must therefore go hand in hand with workforce training and knowledge-sharing, enabling international partners to maintain and improve the systems they implement.
AI in the City: Efficiency, Trust and Security
Another major discussion on the forum’s second day was the panel “AI-sation as a Smart City Trend.” Participants examined real-world cases of AI assistants being deployed in urban environments, the results of scaling these solutions, and the resources needed to introduce them in other cities. The discussion moved beyond general claims about AI’s potential to assess how these systems can be used in city management and public services.
Alexander Komendant, First Deputy Chairman of the Minsk City Executive Committee, described AI as a fundamental tool for improving operational efficiency, optimizing public spending and enhancing quality of life. He stressed that, for Minsk, AI is neither an experiment nor a matter of following the latest technology trend. The city evaluates solutions against four groups of criteria: economic contribution; social impact and public trust; technological resilience; and security and user rights protection.
The Minsk representative also addressed the impact of AI on employment. According to him, automating routine tasks does not lead to job cuts: employees are retrained and move into analytical, social and expert roles. Algorithms may handle tasks such as initially sorting incoming calls and transcribing archived documents, while work requiring situational understanding and personal involvement remains in human hands.
Minsk expressed its readiness to share developments in housing and utilities, healthcare, legal services and urban security, while also learning from Moscow, other Russian regions and the international community. A roadmap for implementing the memorandum between the Minsk City Executive Committee and the Moscow Government on the digitalization of urban governance is scheduled to be signed at the forum.
AI Ethics and the Status of Agreements
The second day’s program also included the session “Global Dialogue on AI Ethics: Expert Forum on New Challenges.” Participants discussed the safety of AI agents, the limits of system autonomy and how to preserve human oversight. These questions are directly relevant to urban deployments: the more actions an algorithm can perform, the more important it becomes to define the limits of its authority and establish procedures for verifying its results.
A ceremony for Russian and international organizations to join the Code of Ethics in Artificial Intelligence was also scheduled for that day. The document sets out principles of human-centricity, safety, responsibility and transparency. At the first Global Digital Forum in 2025, organizations from 22 countries joined the initiative. The new signings are intended to extend this international cooperation.
Formal agreements must be distinguished from public statements. Minsk’s willingness to share technology represents a participant’s stated position; the roadmap with Moscow is a planned document; and joining the AI ethics code means voluntarily adopting a shared set of principles.
What International Partners Are Looking For
Demand for international cooperation extends beyond software development. Representatives of Namibia and Yemen see collaboration with Russia as a way to develop digital education and distance learning, while a delegation from Iraq’s Najaf Governorate is interested in urban, healthcare and infrastructure technologies.
The main outcome of the second day’s discussions was a clearer picture of what digital cooperation requires. The plenary session focused on the independence of national ecosystems, while discussions on smart cities examined efficiency, security and the employment implications of AI adoption. Further practical work should be guided by documents that specify agreed objectives, timelines and responsibilities. These will make it possible to assess which of the forum’s proposals translate into joint projects.
