WGS 2019: UAE, Slovakia sign agreement on ICT cooperation
Dubai : Slovakia’s Deputy Prime Minister for Investments and Information Richard Raši shared prospects for cooperation between his country and the United Arab Emirates during his participation in the 7th World Government Summit (WGS).
“We have signed a memorandum of understanding with the UAE during our participation in the 7th edition of the World Government Summit,” Raši told Emirates news agency WAM on the second day of the WGS which concludes Tuesday in Dubai.
“We are looking forward to sustaining our collaboration with the UAE which we consider the most developed nation in the region. We are looking forward to strengthening the exchange of expertise. The WGS is a valuable platform for us to share information, views and expertise and we are positive there is a wider scope of cooperation between the two countries,” he said.
“We have more than 150 Slovak companies operating in the UAE and we are looking forward to further cementing our collaboration. Last year, our exports to the UAE hit 200 million euros and we are seeking to accelerate our trade cooperation to a higher level. And I think the MoU signed in the presence of Omar bin Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, during the Summit will be a fresh impetus to promoting these relations, especially in areas of automation, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Information Communications Technology (ICT).”
The Slovak official also spoke highly of the leading position assumed by the UAE on sustainable development.
“We share the same passion with the UAE with regards to the central importance of sustainable development,” he said, “a topic which should be at the center of all public policies at the national, regional and local levels as well as in foreign policy. We have been a long way to develop the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as the core of our strategic management framework.”
Raši went on to stress the importance of strengthening mutual partnerships between countries in order to reach the common goal of Sustainable Development. “This summit sends a message of collaboration and networking for all participants. It helps us as different government leaders to provide a better life for our citizens,” he said.
On the multifaceted challenges facing the world as a result of the digital revolution, the Slovak deputy premier underlined the necessity that every country must be proactive and preemptive.
“We have to prepare our citizens to survive the challenging demands of the digital age. We have to launch a coalition between the governments, public sectors and academia. We have to prepare our people to face the challenging side of technology,” he added.
—AB/UNA-OIC