Agenda - CAIGF - Central Asian Internet Governance Forum

AGENDA

Venue: 26/1, Ismoili Somoni Prospekt, Dushanbe, Tajikistan

09:30 – 10:15	Registration and welcome coffee
10:15 – 11:05	Opening of the Central Asian Internet Governance Forum CAIG F 2026
	Opening remarks by the host organization and forum organizers Isfandiyori Sadullo – Head of the Communications Service under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan Chengetai Masango – Head of IGF Secretariat Chris Mondini – Head of Global Stakeholder Engagement for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, ICANN Vahan Hovsepyan – Senior Advisor for Community and Public Policy, RIPE NCC Farukh Sultonov – Acting Country Representative of the World Bank in Tajikistanм
11:05 – 12:00	SESSION 1 BRIDGING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE: Internet access, regional cooperation, sustainable connectivity and regulation strategies *Moderator: Virgilijus Studzia – Global Gateway*
	The discussion will focus on improving internet access and telecommunications services in remote and mountainous areas of Central Asia; exploring strategies to reduce the cost of connectivity; assessing the potential of low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite technologies to deliver reliaber affordable internet; identifying effective regulatory approaches based on international experience; and promoting investments in infrastructure and regional cooperation. Seher Sagiroglu Ayhan – Global Stakeholder Engagement Manager – Middle East (ICANN ) Irmantas Čečkauskas – Global Gateway Maria Bolshakova – Regional Commonwealth in the Field of Communications (RCC) Nurlan Madaminov – President of Kyrgyztelecom Kyrgyzstan OJSC Orzu Naimov – Head of the Department of International Relations and Investment Attraction, Communications Service under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan
12:00 – 13:00	SESSION 2 Data Without Borders, Rights Without Compromise: Cross-Border Flows and Personal Data Protection in Central Asia *Moderator: Dmitry Yakimenko,* International Wildberries
	The panel discussion will address data management issues, access to digital data for both government and business, barriers to the free exchange and cross-border flow of data, the protection of personal data and privacy, and the potential for achieving convergence in regulatory approaches across the region. Speakers and discussants: Ivan Begtin, Data technologist, open data promoter. Founder of Open Data Armenia, Data evangelist and Chief Technology Officer of the Dateno data search engine; Armenia Denis Sadovnikov, Global CDPO (Chief Data Protection Officer), Head of Privacy, Chief Counsel Yango; Zukhra Khalimova, Senior Advisor at CAPS Unlock, Strategic Advisor at Women in Digital Transformation (Tajikistan); Irina Baikulova, AIDA, Association of Artificial Intelligence System Proprietors and Developers, Kyrgyzstan Bakhtiyor Nodirov – Deputy Head of the Information Security Department, Communications Service under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan
13:00 – 14:00	Dinner TBD
14:00 – 15:00	SESSION 3 AI FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN CENTRAL ASIA: regional cases, ethical aspects and regulation *Moderator: Alexander Partin* (Partner, Privacy Advocates, CIPP/E, CIPM, RPPA)
	The session will discuss the potential of artificial intelligence to address regional challenges in agriculture, healthcare, and education. It will also examine the ethical aspects and need for human-centered AI governance systems, regional cases in key economic and social sectors—from startups to implementation—and approaches to regulating AI in countries across the region, including which legal models are effective. Speakers and discussants: Alla Klimenko, Co-founder & CEO at Mad Devs LLC & Enji.ai , Kyrgyzstan; Denis Sadovnikov, Global CDPO (Chief Data Protection Officer), Head of Privacy, Chief Counsel Yango Behzod Ismailov, Executive director AI Central Asia (AICA), Uzbekistan Najima Noyoftova, Deputy Chair of the AI Council under the Ministry of Industry and New Technologies, Tajikistan Saydiakhrol Saydiakbarov – Ministry of Digital Technologies of the Republic of Uzbekistan
15:00 – 15:30	Coffee break
15:30 – 16:30	SESSION 4 NEW RISKS OF THE DIGITAL AGE: regional cyber resilience agenda, *AI and the Future of CybersecurityModerator: Oleg Ryaskov —*** Team Europe Initiative on Digital Connectivity in Central Asia
	The expert discussion in this session will focus on the growing cybersecurity threats facing Central Asia amid ongoing digital development, the need for a collaborative and proactive approach to cybersecurity, the protection of critical digital services and ensuring a safe online environment for all. It will also include an analysis of current and emerging threats in the region, as well as a discussion of the potential of AI to enhance security and the risks associated with AI-enabled cyberattacks. Speakers and discussants: Gheorghe PANTAZ – Digital Government Consultant, World Bank Ikrom Abdullaev, Coordinator, Project Implementation Center of the Executive Office of the President Республики Таджикистан Khurshed Kurbonshoev, Chairman of the Public Organization “Development of Digital Sustainability” of Tajikistan Nurzhan Bazhaev, Expert, State Technical Service of the Republic of Kazakhstan Erniyaz Zamanbek – Head of the corporate segment for Central Asia and Mongolia, Kaspersky Lab JSC
16:30 – 17:00	Closing Summary of the Forum
18:00	Gala Dinner hosted by the Central Asia Organizers of IGF 2026