Russia and Iraq to develop cooperation in the fields of IT and telecommunications

As a result of a meeting earlier this month between the Russian minister of telecommunications and mass media Nikolai Nikiforov and Iraqi ambassador Ismail Mukhsin, the two countries are willing to develop ties in the field of telecommunications, information technologies and postal services.

Government bodies, private companies, scientific and educational organizations are potentially concerned, according to Nikiforov, which believes that this cooperation “will last for many years to come.” While the security of information and telecom infrastructure will be an essential field of cooperation, Nikiforov also expressed Russia’s desire to see “all countries fully participate in the governance of the world wide web’s infrastructure” at the UN level.

In addition, “each country should ensure the protection of its own section of the world wide web against external influence,” Nikiforov stated.

While agreeing with the of cooperating in the field of telecommunications and information security, the Iraqi ambassador also drew attention to the fact that nearly one thousand Iraqi students come each year to Russian universities. He suggested that more students be trained in IT and telecom universities.

A memorandum of understanding for cooperation in these fields may be signed between the two countries before the end of the year.