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27.11.2024

Russia ratifies e-signature agreement with Belarus

MOSCOW ( BelTA) – The Russian parliament has ratified the intergovernmental Belarusian-Russian agreement on the recognition of an electronic signature (electronic digital signature) in an electronic document during cross-border electronic interaction, BelTA has learned.

The agreement was signed in Moscow on 15 April 2024. It was ratified by the State Duma of Russia on 26 November, and approved by the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of Russia on 27 November. Belarus completed all the necessary ratification procedures for the document in early October.

During the ratification of the agreement in the upper house of the Russian parliament, it was noted that it would allow Russian and Belarusian business entities to participate in state and municipal procurement in the territory of both countries, conducted in electronic form, to exchange the necessary permits for cross-border trade. The document establishes the possibility for one party to recognize an electronic signature (electronic digital signature) in an electronic document developed in accordance with the legislation of the other party.

The agreement, in particular, defines the principles, conditions and procedure for recognizing an electronic digital signature in an electronic document in cross-border electronic interaction, and also provides for verification of the validity of the said signature. In accordance with the agreement, participants in electronic interaction are entities (senders and receivers) exchanging information in electronic form - government bodies, state organizations, notaries, lawyers, courts, legal entities, individual entrepreneurs, other business entities, and natural persons.

Recognition of an electronic signature (electronic digital signature) in an electronic document developed in accordance with the legislation of one of the parties in the course of cross-border electronic interaction will be achieved by ensuring the legal significance of this electronic document. Such recognition will be carried out by trusted third parties of the state of each party in accordance with the agreement: in Belarus it will be an organization determined by the president of the Republic of Belarus and performing the functions of recognizing the authenticity of electronic documents during interstate electronic interaction, and in Russia it will be a federal executive body performing the functions of a trusted third party during the exchange of electronic documents.