Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky heads to Estonia for high-level talks
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will meet his Estonian counterpart Kersti Kaljulaid today in Tallinn. The two leaders will participate in a digital forum focused on developing digital platforms for governance and administration in Ukraine.
Estonia has completely digitalised its administration and currently operates a paperless government. A common outcome for Ukraine and Estonia is the latter’s e-Residency program that began in December 2014. The measure, which has generated more than $18 million for local economies, allows international entrepreneurs to set up virtual businesses in Estonia and gain location-independent access to the EU market.
While they face complex bureaucracy at home, Ukraine businesses gain from the transparent procedures in Estonia. As of April, 54,000 people from 157 countries have gained e-Residency. Ukrainians currently form the third largest group at 7%—after Finland (10%) and Russia (8%).
Kyiv is likely to mimic Tallinn’s expertise in digital governance, where e-Residency promotes business growth by providing convenient access to international e-payment systems, such as PayPal. Even more, the countries might collaborate on developing digital platforms in healthcare and public services in Ukraine in the medium term.
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