ASTANA – Kazakhstan and Mongolia inked a historic investment agreement to create and develop Earth remote sensing satellite system on Oct. 29 in Ulaanbaatar, which marks the first export of a Kazakh satellite, entirely developed by Kazakh engineers.
Zhaslan Madiyev and Mongolian Minister of Digital Development, Innovation and Communications Baatarkhuu Tsend. Photo credit: Kazakh Ministry of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry.
According to Kazakh Minister of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry Zhaslan Madiyev, independent management of satellites by each side will provide Kazakhstan and Mongolia with access to up-to-date data for monitoring natural resources and developing agriculture.
“The satellite will be adapted to the needs of Mongolia, which will strengthen the regional satellite infrastructure and highlight the growing potential of Kazakhstan in the field of space technologies,” said Madiyev, reported the ministry’s press service.
On Oct. 28, Madiyev took part in the first meeting of the Kazakh-Mongolian Business Council, which was held as part of the state visit of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to Mongolia.
During the event, Madiyev identified key areas for cooperation in digitalization, including creating an innovative ecosystem, developing startup projects, introducing a digital government (GovTech) and projects in the aerospace industry.
He emphasized Mongolian startups’ involvement in Astana Hub acceleration programs and Kazakh startups’ expanding presence in the Mongolian market, which enhances bilateral connections.
During the visit, Madiyev visited e-Mongolia, a platform launched in 2020 to simplify access to government services. The platform covers 85% of Mongolia’s population. The officials from both countries discussed cooperation prospects and exchange of experience referring to Kazakhstan’s eGov system, which provides online access to more than 90% of government services.
Madiev also met with leaders of the Mongolian IT market, including ICT Group, the largest private operator of information systems. ICT Group covers more than 91% of the population and implements innovations in artificial intelligence, blockchain, and the development of language models for the Mongolian language.
Madiyev visited the National Information Technology Park (NITP) of Mongolia, which supports startups by providing jobs, professional certification, and digital skills development, creating conditions for Mongolian startups to enter international markets.
Madiyev noted that cooperation between Kazakhstan and Mongolia in digitalization and technology will strengthen technical competencies in both countries and improve the application of new technologies in citizens’ daily lives.
“The Mongolian side showed particular interest in individual solutions of the electronic government of Kazakhstan, since structurally both countries have similar parameters, these solutions may also be in demand in Mongolia. Also, the Mongolian government is now focusing on the digital economy and AI, which may be interesting for our country,” said Madiyev.
