The agreement marks an exchange of experiences and best practices in digital transformation, e-government, research and development.

Qatar and Serbia are set to increase the dynamic exchange of knowledge, expertise, and resources in the realm of information and communication technologies (ICT), as part of a new agreement between the two countries.

Qatar’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology Mohamed bin Ali al-Mannai and Mihailo Jovanovic, the Minister of Information and Telecommunications of the Republic of Serbia, confirmed the signing of a bilateral agreement and memorandum of understanding between the two countries during the Qatar Economic Forum.

“The MoU supports the relations between the two countries and demonstrates their commitment to the advancement of the communications and information technology sectors, and will pave the way for innovation,” said Al Mannai

The agreement marks an exchange of experiences and best practices in digital transformation, e-government, research and development (R&D), investment in small and medium-sized companies, innovation, activating electronic transactions, and other areas related to the communications and information technology sectors.

“We will intensify our cooperation through the exchange of knowledge related to the construction of large data centres and cooperation with global cloud leaders such as Oracle, Microsoft, Google and Amazon,” said Jovanovic. “Through this partnership, we aim to share expertise, knowledge and best practices in the ICT sector.”

This agreement, the first since 2017, highlights the recognition of both countries as leaders in the ICT sector.

“We have been talking about data centres and how to keep the data in one place and think about data flow exchange between two countries,” Jovanovic told The Peninsula. “Also, it is very important for us to keep the data for telcos and banks in one place and provide the exchange of that data.”

Focus on biotechnology

Regarding biotechnology, Minister Jovanovic extended an invitation to companies in Qatar to participate in the ‘Bio 4’ campus, a substantial investment project located in Belgrade.

Biotechnology, coupled with artificial intelligence, is a strategic focus for the Serbian government.

Its transformative potential in the healthcare sector includes enhancing efficiency, reducing errors, and generating innovative healthcare solutions. Serbia’s progress in the field of biotechnology serves as an inspiration for others seeking to expedite their own biotechnology endeavors.

“We have very good talents and startups in four science and technology parks. There are different Venture Capital (VC) funds from Qatar that are willing to invest in our startups and help us make this connection and opportunity for our startups,” he said.