The message reads, in part:
“This forum brought to Moscow participants from over 30 countries, including representatives of public authorities, national election committees and commissions, the expert community as well as relevant international organisations. You are going to discuss a wide range of issues related to improving legislation and law enforcement practice, and, of course, share experiences gained in a significant field like the use of advanced digital technology, which opens up entirely new opportunities for developing direct democracy and public control institutions, improving the transparency of the election procedure, and taking into account the interests and opinions of each voter.
At the same time, it is important to bear in mind that even in the age of rapid technological changes, key principles such as openness and legitimacy of elections at all levels, fair competition, dialogue and respect for the opponents, as well as the unconditional value of the citizens' rights and freedoms retain their key value.
I am confident that this conference will be a success, and that its decisions and recommendations will be widely used in practice.”