LAHORE: The Russian cooperation in information technology (IT) sector of Pakistan will open up new avenues of bilateral relations in the field of technological interventions, which will also strengthen and promote the interaction between experts of two countries, said PITB Chairman Dr Umar Saif while addressing a visiting Russian IT delegation on Wednesday. Dr Saif said that Russian IT solutions would be beneficial in terms of expertise and technology transfer, which was needed to be result oriented. “In order to start the activity, education, health and revenue areas should be targeted,” he added. Earlier, the members of the delegation made a detailed presentation on the integrated IT-based solutions to the education sector being implemented over 100 schools in Russia. The presentation included new gadgets for vocational skills programming with logical solutions. The two-day visit came in the backdrop of the 5th Pak-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission (IGC) on trade, economic and scientific-technical cooperation meeting held in Moscow in November last year. In the conference, Russian side shared its willingness to collaborate with Pakistan in multiple areas, including prospective projects in the field of information and communication technology (ICT). The Russian side agreed to cooperate in e-government solutions, public sector automation, healthcare, citizen centric multifunctional service centres, financial and payment system. The Russian IT organisation for future correspondence in the field of ICT is the state-owned Limited Liability Company Russian IT Export (LLC RITE). Recently on the invitation of LLC RITE CEO, a delegation of Punjab IT Board visited Moscow, which opened up new avenues of bilateral relations between the two countries in terms of Information and telecommunication. The delegation from Punjab IT Board showcased PITB’s projects for transforming Punjab into a hub of information technology. The ten-member Russian delegation included senior management of Russian Information Technology Export (RITE), IDVP, Codewards and YARUS. PITB officials, Punjab Curriculum and Text Book Board managing director and directors of school monitoring and curriculum were also present during the meeting. Published in Daily Times, March 22th 2018.