IRNA, Russia’s Itar-Tass Ink Co-op Pact

Moscow, July 7, IRNA – Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) signed a news cooperation agreement with Russia’s Itar-Tass News Agency on Friday. The agreement was inked by IRNA Managing Director Ali-Akbar Javanfekr and Itar-Tass president Vitaly Ignatenko. Under the cooperation deal, the two sides will exchange news and media delegations, as well as hold training courses. During the meeting, Javanfekr invited Ignatenko to visit Tehran. IRNA has signed another cooperation agreement with Itar-Tass in 2009. Javanfekr, heading an Iranian delegation arrived in Moscow on Wednesday. The two-day-long summit started with messages from President Vladimir Putin and United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon. The forum entitled 'Global Media: Challenges of the 21st Century' is being organized by the Russian Itar-Tass news agency. According to Itar-Tass, at least 300 managers representing more than 213 mass media from 102 countries are participating in the summit. Among them are presidents, managing directors and chief editors of news agencies, television channels and radio stations. Leaders of nine international organizations, including UNESCO, as well as the delegation of the European Parliament have been invited to take part in the summit. It should be noted that the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), is the official news agency of the Islamic Republic of Iran. It is government-funded and controlled under the Iranian Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance. The agency also publishes the Persian-language newspaper Iran. As of 2010, the Managing Director of IRNA is Ali Akbar Javanfekr. IRNA has 60 offices in Iran and 30 more in various countries around the world. IRNA's professional activities are aimed at securing Iranian national interests. Efforts of management and professional personnel of IRNA are thus focused on achieving higher ground each day in fulfillment of its stated goal. The organization functions as the 'mother source of information dissemination' within the country, feeding its authorities, nationals and various publications with various types of news, bulletins, research works, opinion polls and stories of general interest through its various telex lines. IRNA has been active in expanding and strengthening of professional level bilateral and multilateral cooperation with various countries' news agencies and active cooperation in the formation and strengthening of joint regional and international networks. In existence since 1904, the ITAR-TASS News Agency is one of the world's largest international information agencies. ITAR-TASS relies on a widespread network of correspondents. Currently, It has more than 130 bureaus and offices in Russia and abroad. ITAR-TASS also cooperates with more than 80 foreign news agencies. ITAR-TASS' editorial and other desks process information from correspondents, check and analyze facts, and translate into five foreign languages. ITAR-TASS offers today 45 round-the-clock news cycles in six languages and more than 40 information bulletins./end