On April 27, 2026, the 5th Meeting of Heads of Ministries and Agencies of SCO Member States responsible for the development of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) was held in Bishkek under the chairmanship of the Ministry of Digital Development and Innovation Technologies of the Kyrgyz Republic.
The meeting participants discussed topics of cooperation in the field of digital transformation, the implementation of ICT and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in public administration and key sectors of the economy.
In his address the Minister of Digital Development and Innovation Technologies of the Kyrgyz Republic, Azamat Zhamankulov, emphasized that digital transformation is a significant factor for sustainable socio-economic development, improving public administration efficiency, and enhancing the quality of life. He paid particular attention to the need to strengthen cooperation among SCO member states in light of the challenges at hand, including the development of digital infrastructure, the application of AI, ensuring cybersecurity, and personnel training.
SCO Deputy Secretary-General Oleg Kopylov noted in his remarks the importance of implementing the activities outlined in the Digital Transformation Action Plan adopted by the parties in 2025 in order to ensure economic growth and enhance the technological potential of the SCO member states.
As a result of the meeting resulted Concept for the Creation of Regional Data Processing Centers, Computing Capacities, and the Development of the Artificial Intelligence Industry was approved. The parties agreed that the formation of a modern data storage and processing infrastructure is a critically important condition for ensuring technological sovereignty, the resilience of digital services, and the implementation of scientific developments.
Delegates visited the Artificial Intelligence Forum "AI in the SCO Space: Trust and Sustainable Development," which serves as an expert and dialogue platform for discussing practical aspects of the implementation and use of AI technologies.
On the sidelines of the events the SCO Deputy Secretary-General held a meeting with the Minister of Digital Development and Innovation Technologies of the Kyrgyz Republic, Azamat Zhamankulov. The high level of organization and substantive content of the specialized meetings held under the Kyrgyz chairmanship was emphasized during the meeting.
SCO DSG Oleg Kopylov also met with the Chief Engineer of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of the People's Republic of China (level of Deputy Minister), Zhong Zhihong. They discussed issues concerning the development of cooperation in the field of digital transformation, the implementation of ICT and AI and noted the significant role of the China-SCO Big Data Cooperation Center.
