Estonian-Ukrainian cooperation in digital governance, cybersecurity to grow

TALLINN - At a meeting on Thursday, Estonian Minister of Justice and Digital Affairs Liisa Pakosta and Ukrainian Minister for Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov spoke about deepening cooperation in digital governance and cybersecurity and stated that Ukraine's daily experiences in extreme situations provide Estonia with invaluable knowledge.

Digital cooperation between Estonia and Ukraine was given a new impetus when the two countries discussed their joint progress and future plans in the digitalization of state services and the promotion of cybersecurity. Ukraine expressed its appreciation for Estonia's digital state as a leading global example, and both countries agreed to continue cooperation for the development of the digital field.

An important topic at the meeting was the development of mobile applications for government services. The Estonian state app and the Ukrainian Diia are moving forward towards creating user-friendly solutions that allow citizens to get all the necessary public services from one place. The goal is to also link private sector services to the applications, while ensuring the highest security standards.

"Estonia and Ukraine are unique pioneers in the world, jointly developing so-called super apps that connect public and private sector services. This is our joint contribution to the future of digital governance," Pakosta said.

The implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) in the public sector was also discussed at the meeting. Ukraine is developing a government concept that expands the capabilities of AI, while Estonia guided by a white paper on data and AI. Both countries are preparing to establish AI competence centers to strengthen national capabilities and share best practices.

In the field of cybersecurity, the Tallinn Mechanism has become an important international platform, chaired by Estonia. Within the framework of the cooperation, countries have shared experiences in combating cyber threats and protecting critical infrastructure.

"Ukraine's daily experiences in extreme crisis situations provide invaluable lessons for Estonia. Their knowledge will help us be better prepared to prevent potential attacks and strengthen crisis management," Pakosta said.

She also thanked her Ukrainian colleague for excellent coordination on the Ukrainian side, which makes the delivery of donor assistance and necessary support to Ukraine in the field of cybersecurity much clearer and more effective.

There is also great potential for cooperation in economic terms. Estonia and Ukraine consider it important to support the innovation and export capabilities of IT companies. Both countries are looking for opportunities to jointly export digital governance solutions to third countries in order to offer new growth opportunities to Estonian and Ukrainian companies. In early December, a delegation of Estonian IT companies will visit Ukraine together with the prime minister to further promote cooperation.

Estonia and Ukraine will continue to create pioneering solutions as partners in the digital field, jointly striving for the most user-friendly and secure digital governance.