A round table titled “Information Security: Modern Challenges and Threats” was held on January 15 at the Commonwealth of Independent States headquarters.
The event was attended by:
– Minister of Information of the Republic of Belarus Marat Markov;
– First Deputy CIS Secretary General Igor Petrishenko;
– Deputy CIS Secretary General, Nurlan Seitimov;
– leadership and officials of the CIS Executive Committee.
Opening the meeting, Igor Petrishenko noted that a solid institutional foundation for ensuring information security has been established within the CIS. Work in this area is based on relevant agreements, concepts, strategies, and long-term plans.
The fundamental documents in this sphere are:
– the Agreement on Cooperation in Ensuring Information Security;
– the Agreement on Information Interaction in the Field of Digital Development of Society;
– the Strategy for Ensuring Information Security.
The provision of information security as an element of cooperation, in a broader sense, is integrated into the new Strategy for Cooperation in Developing the Information Society and Digital Economy until 2035, adopted by the CIS Heads of Government Council on September 29, 2025.
“For ensuring information security, the activities of Commonwealth bodies are of great importance: the Regional Commonwealth in the Field of Communications, the Interstate Television and Radio Company “Mir”, the Council of Heads of Television and Radio Organizations, and the Council of Heads of State News Agencies. In countering cybercrime and other destructive encroachments in the information sphere, virtually all coordinating bodies in the field of security are involved to one degree or another”, informed Igor Petrishenko.
In his opinion, the past Year of the 80th Anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 – the Year of Peace and Unity in the Fight Against Nazism – was particularly indicative in terms of ensuring information security.
He stated that the capabilities of the Interstate Information Pool, within which video reports are exchanged, have been a good support in this work. Over the years of its operation, over 60,000 reports on the life of the Commonwealth and its member states have been contributed to the Pool's shared collection of video materials.
A similar interaction mechanism under the auspices of the CIS Information Council operates within the Association of National News Agencies of CIS Member States (ANIA). Daily, the Association posts 15–20 news items and 3–5 photo materials about important events in the life of the Commonwealth countries for free joint use.
In his speech, Belarus minister Marat Markov spoke about the specifics of information work in the republic and the Belarusian information space.
The Minister elaborated on the use of popular internet platforms, publishing activities, legislative regulation of these spheres, and the influence of artificial intelligence on shaping information policy, including for children and youth audiences.