The International Center for Promotion of Enterprises (ICPE) participated in the Regional Development Forum for the Commonwealth of Independent States (RDF-CIS), held on 23 April 2025 and the Regional Preparatory Meeting for the same Region (RPM-CIS) on 24-25 April 2025. Both events were organized by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and took place in Bishkek, at the invitation of the Ministry of Digital Development of the Kyrgyz Republic.
The RDF provided an opportunity for an exchange of views between ITU and decision-makers of ITU Member States and Sector Members, as well as other stakeholders in the CIS region. This Forum was open to all stakeholders willing to strengthen cooperation and partnership among telecommunication/ICT policymakers, regulators, industry, academia, regional and international development agencies, and organizations on specific regional telecommunication and ICT matters.
Forum was organized in four round tables:
1 – Digital transformation and development in the CIS: trends, opportunities, challenges.
2 – Fostering partnership building to accelerate connectivity infrastructure and digital development.
3 – Fostering Digital Alliances and Cooperation.
4 – ITU Regional Initiatives for CIS Region.
During the event, ICPE Representative, Dr Nenad Stankovic, had an opportunity to meet and present ICPE programs/activities to Dr Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava, Director, ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT), Dr Archana Gulati, Deputy to Director BDT & Chief of Department, Ms Natalia Mochu, Regional Director of the ITU Regional Office for CIS and Mr Alexey Borodin, Director General of the Regional Commonwealth in the Field of Communications (RCC).
Participants at the RDF-CIS
Two days of the Regional Preparatory Meeting (RPM) aimed at engaging the membership of the CIS Region in the preparations of the World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC) in order to achieve regional coordination before the conference itself. They also identified issues at the regional level that need to be addressed to foster the development of telecommunications and ICTs, taking into account the most pressing needs faced by the Member States and Sector Members of the CIS Region. As agreed, by the majority of the ITU Member States, WTDC-25 will take place in Baku, Republic of Azerbaijan from 17 to 28 November 2025.
At the RPM, documents and contributions submitted by CIS Member States were discussed and agreed upon. A key highlight was the presentation of the document titled “State of Digital Development and Trends in the CIS Region: Challenges and Opportunities.” This comprehensive report offers an overview of digital connectivity in the CIS region, showcasing key statistics, regional trends, and case studies that reflect both progress and ongoing efforts to strengthen connectivity.
The delegation from the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport of the Republic of Azerbaijan introduced Baku as the host city for WTDC-25 and extended a warm invitation to all participants to attend the Conference. Alongside the RPM session on 24 April, the “Global Girls in ICT” celebration—an ITU initiative widely supported by its Member States—was also held.
Dr. Nenad Stankovic took the opportunity to engage with delegates from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan. In his meetings, he presented ICPE’s programmes and explored prospects for joint projects and collaborative activities. His presentation was well received, and the delegates agreed to continue discussions aimed at identifying areas of potential cooperation.
Participants at the RPM-CIS