MINSK, 30 September (BelTA) – The Belarusian news agency BelTA makes a great contribution to the development of cooperation in the CIS, Chairman of the CIS Executive Committee - CIS Executive Secretary Sergei Lebedev told reporters on 30 September, BelTA has learned.
“Today, the CIS Plenipotentiaries Council is set to hear a report on the activities of the CIS Council of Heads of State News Agencies. As the chairman of the CIS Executive Committee, which attentively monitors cooperation between our news agencies, I would like to say that this cooperation is quite close and effective. It is both multilateral and bilateral. I know, for example, that BelTA actively cooperates with TASS, AZERTAC and other news agencies. Meetings take place on a regular basis. We have a common information portal ANIA, where representatives of the state news agencies post information, and others have the right to use this information. We post this information on the CIS Executive Committee information websites. This is very important,” said Sergei Lebedev.
According to him, news agencies provide support in strengthening interaction and cooperation within the CIS. "They contribute to strengthening our interaction, promote a deeper understanding and knowledge of the life of our neighbors, inform about the events that are taking place in the neighboring CIS countries. Unfortunately, with the collapse of the Soviet Union, we have somewhat lost sight of how our neighbors live. I am very grateful to the news agencies, in particular the Belarusian news agency BelTA for the detailed information about our integration cooperation. BelTA contributes a lot to promoting our cooperation. Of course, I cannot but mention the Mir International Television and Radio Company, with which we also work closely. This is an important organization for us in the CIS. Mir helps us to cover events in the CIS, to inform each other about life, nature, events in the CIS countries," Sergei Lebedev emphasized.
Another meeting of the CIS Council of Permanent Plenipotentiary Representatives was held at the CIS Executive Committee in Minsk on 30 September. The permanent representatives discussed the activities of the CIS Council for Cultural Cooperation and the CIS Council of Heads of State News Agencies.
The permanent representatives reviewed the status of the provisions of the Agreement on a Free Trade Zone. The document was signed on 18 October 2011. Its main goal is to create conditions for the stable development of the economy for the sake of raising living standards and developing mutual trade without obstacles.
Preparations for the meetings of the CIS ministerial Council and the CIS Council of Heads of State in Astana on 12 and 14 October were also on the agenda.
