On 30-31 May, 2007 IIS representatives Yuri Hohlov and Tatiana Ershova visited Petrozavodsk, where they took part in several working meetings with e-leaders of Republic of Karelia - Vise-President on Informatization of Petrozavodsk State University Natalia Ruzanova and Director on Informatization and Protection of Information of Ministry of Economic Development of Republic of Karelia Vladimir Solovov.

Prospects of ICT use for socio-economic development of the region were discussed during the meeting chaired by Minister of Economic Development of Republic of Karelia Mikhail Yurinov.

In recent years higher attention was paid to ICT development in Republic of Karelia. Karelia became one of the first Russian regions where access to the Internet was organized. The ICT development in the Republic was started with creating by Petrozavodsk State University the web server "Karelia" in 1995. Karelia has numerous web-sites recounting its history, traditions, culture, museums, artists, creative collectives, which allow the world community to get acquainted closer with life of the Republic. Important role belongs to educational web resources, most of them are represented on PetrSU web portal, and also on web sites of educational institutions (schools, colleges, lyceums, other institutes of higher education of Karelia, social organizations in educational sphere).

Taking into consideration the fact that in the context of information society education becomes one of the most important resources of regional development, Government of Republic of Karelia first and foremost supports projects on informatization in educational sphere.

The opening of an internet center based on PetrSU in 1997 became an important event in the life of the Republic.

In 2001 the National Library of Karelia hosted Internet center of IATP program (The Internet Access and Training Program) of Project Harmony Inc. (USA). IATP Center essentially extended opportunities of free access to the Internet for Petrozavodsk and other Karelia regions’ residents, allowed to study ICT for free for those who work in social, cultural, science, education spheres, etc. Starting April 2006 IATP Center acquired status of Training Center of Project "Open World of ICT" supported by Microsoft. Center conducts trainings for workers of cultural and health protection spheres, unemployed, youth, representatives of poorly-paid professions.

In 2002 Karelia’s Government supported the project of creating a republican Center "Internet Education" aimed at teaching tutors to use efficiently the resources and capabilities of Internet in magisterial activities. Starting from Center’s opening more than 2500 teachers passed retraining in ICT sphere there. Currently the Republic actively links up schools to the Internet.

Not only students and schoolchildren were Center’s audience but also representatives of social sphere, firms, enterprises, social organizations and individuals. It stimulated development of operations aimed at connecting new organizations to the internet, arouse interest to ICT use and made for development of Information Society in Karelia.

One of the most important goals of informatization is efficient use of ICT in national and municipal management. The increasing quality of public administration is directly bound up with interactive cooperation between authorities and population, local authorities and local business. This task is accomplished due to opening in the internet an official server of Karelia’s authorities, which became the first step to organizing e-government.

Local authorities start creating own web sites to inform population about their activities. The most developed is Petrozavodsk official web-site, which was incarnated in the context of "E-Petrozavodsk" project with support of "E-Russia" program.

Local authorities now posses’ 10-50 computers united in a network and have access to the Internet. Little by little comes an understanding that with the help of these instruments regional problems of development of social, economic and cultural spheres can be solved.

Geoinformation Systems Technologies are used to solve questions of territorial development of the Republic. Thus, based on Geoinformation Systems Technologies, were implemented descriptions of municipal formations’ borders and their cartographical presentations were made providing for the law "About Cities, Rural Towns of Republic of Karelia".

All activities providing for ICT introduction in the Republic are coordinated by Informatization Council at the Head of the Republic of Karelia, which includes authorities’ directors, leading specialists of education and science, communication organizations and others. As a result of Council’s work program "Informatization of the Republic of Karelia for 2004-2007" was accepted and started incarnation. In the context of the program’s realization a legislation "About Information Resources and Informatization of the Republic of Karelia"  was prepared. TACIS project "E-Karelia" aimed at stimulating economic growth and competitiveness due to increasing opportunities of access to modern ICT for small and medium enterprises contributes to the development of e-cooperation between authorities and business.

During working meetings on 30-31 May the Head of Section of Geographic Information Systems of PetrSU Anatoly Schreders showed unique achievements in the context of geoinformation systems development and implantation. And the Director of PetrSU National Library Marina Otlivanchik presented the picture of ICT use in servicing library’s clients at a high level. Nadezhda Kotsoban, the Head of Section of Information and Telemedical Technologies of the Republican Hospital n.a. V.A. Baranov, made report on ICT use experience in health protection sphere. Natalia Bogdanova, Coordinator of the Internet-Center of IATP Program, and several other teachers and graduates told about Center’s activities. During the working meeting hosted by National Library of the Republic of Karelia problems of educating professional groups in the co text of ICT use in everyday life were discussed.