Creating effective electronic communication between citizens and state purpose of OSCE seminar in Minsk

MINSK, 17 February 2009 - An OSCE seminar held today explored ways Belarus can use the Internet to improve interaction between citizens and the state by developing e-government models. The seminar was organized by the OSCE Office in Minsk and the Belarusian National Centre on Legislation and Legal Research.

Representatives of the Parliament, the Centre on Legal Information, the Academy of Science, the Information Ministry and other ministries took part in the seminar. International experts shared their experience in using e-government methods to improve communication and information exchange between the government and the citizens.

"Looking at experiences in other countries is a key factor in supporting the Belarusian Government's efforts to improve its governance," said Ambassador Hans-Jochen Schmidt, the Head of the OSCE Office. "E-governance has a great potential in Belarus because the population's use of the Internet is among the highest in the former Soviet countries."

The seminar was part of a joint project aiming to develop an e-government model based on international experiences. The project also includes study tours to Estonia and Hungary.