CIS members discuss common information space strategy

A strategy of developing a common information space of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) is a key issue on the agenda of the meeting the Regional Commonwealth in the Area of Communications is holding in St Petersburg on June 30 - July 1. The meeting is being presided over by Russian federal Communications and Informatisation Minister Leonid Reiman. "Information and communications technology is an important tool in carrying out socio-economic reforms," said Viktor Danilov, an advisor with the inter-branch co-operation department of the CIS Executive Committee. The strategy aims to create an information community in the CIS and integrate it into the global information community. The basic avenues of co-operation in this area are the harmonisation of relative laws, the development of the information and telecommunications infrastructure and the establishment of the common information space, and liberalisation of trade in information services.