Azernews.Az

The Council of Heads of State News Agencies of Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS Information Council) has convened in Baku for its 16th meeting.

The event was attended by heads of state news agencies of Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan and Ukraine, as well as representatives of the CIS Executive Committee.

The participants heard a report on the activities of the Council, and discussed preparations for the 70th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War and cooperation among member agencies under Belarus` CIS presidency concept.

The meeting also featured discussions on the work of the website of the Association of National News Agencies and current projects of the CIS Information Council.

The participants also exchanged views on organizational issues, and set the date and venue for the next gathering of the Council.

Director General of Azerbaijan State Telegraph Agency (AzerTAc) Aslan Aslanov made a speech at the event to stress the role of the CIS Information Council "in a world which witnesses the emergence of information society".

Mr. Aslanov hailed the activities of the Council, saying it plays a pivotal role in building a common information space between Europe and Asia, coordinating the work of national news agencies, and strengthening the experience exchange.
The AzerTAc Director General touched upon the preparations for the Victory Day, saying: "This is our common past, and we must always discuss ways of promoting awareness of the contribution of each former Soviet republic to ensuring the victory over fascism."

Chairman of the CIS Council of Heads of State News Agencies Vitaly Ignatenko made a report on the activities and further priorities of the Council.

An agreement to set up the CIS Information Council was signed in Moscow in 1995.