A new European Union-funded project “Team Europe Initiative (TEI) on Digital Connectivity in Central Asia” has been launched. This four-year project aims to promote the development of information and communication technologies (ICT), foster innovation and strengthen digital connectivity in five Central Asian countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.
Lithuania’s Communications Regulatory Authority (RRT) experts will actively participate in the project, sharing their experience and best practices alongside partners from France, Latvia, Estonia and Finland. Lithuania has been entrusted with a key role in this project—leading the first component. The goal of this component is to assist in preparing strategic documents and legislation to encourage ICT development and adoption.
“We are pleased that Lithuania’s progress and the expertise of its professionals in the ICT sector are being recognised. Through this project, we will have the opportunity to share our knowledge with Central Asian countries, helping to improve strategic documents and legislation, thereby contributing to ICT development in these regions. We hope that the collective efforts of EU experts will enhance the competitive environment in the ICT sector in Central Asia, ensuring that technologies and services bring maximum benefits to people. Moreover, we look forward to seeing Central Asian countries strengthen their positions in international rankings related to e-governance, ICT competitiveness and innovation,” said Paulius Vaina, the Central Project Management Agency’s (CPVA) project’s lead expert.
Lithuanian experts will also contribute to the implementation of the second component, which aims to ensure more transparent and inclusive access to public and private communication services, with special attention to rural areas, gender equality and marginalised groups. Latvia is the leader of this component.
The project will address other critical issues, including the application of satellite technologies to promote local innovation and the strengthening of cybersecurity infrastructure.
The project is coordinated by the French agency “Expertise France,” with a total budget of 20 million euros. The entire project is funded by the European Commission, and Lithuania’s share of the funding is approximately 3.2 million euros. The implementation of Lithuania’s activities is coordinated by the Central Project Management Agency (CPVA), which signed a cooperation agreement with the Communications Regulatory Authority (RRT) in January 2025.
By July 2025, RRT experts will complete a comprehensive analysis of the ICT sector in Central Asian countries and, in collaboration with local institutions, will develop recommendations for improving strategic documents and legislation. The implementation of these measures will begin in the second half of the year.
