Russia, China To Sign Cyber Security Pact In 2015

Russia and China are set to sign an international cyber security agreement in the first half of 2015, Kommersant newspaper reported citing a source familiar with the progress of negotiations.

According to the report, the agreement was expected to be signed this week during a state visit to China by Russian premier Vladimir Putin. However, it was decided that the agreement should be made "more extensive and practical" and that this would take several more months, the source was quoted as saying to the newspaper.

The report said that the agreement would deal with confidence-building measures, the prevention of cyber incidents developing into a full-scale conflict, collaboration in the operation of national Internet segments and closer interaction on international platforms dedicated to cyber security issues.

The signing of the document, drawn up under the supervision of Presidential Aide Igor Shchegolev together with the Russian Security Council, the Communication and Mass Media Ministry, the Foreign Ministry and the Defense Ministry, was postponed until the first half of next year.

The first ever bilateral agreement on confidence-building measures in cyber security, a sort of a cyber non-aggression pact, was signed in 2013 in the presence of Putin and U.S. president Barack Obama, the newspaper noted.