Dushanbe, 29.02.2016. (NIAT “Khovar”). — The 21st meeting of the Council of Heads of state-run news agencies from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) will start its work on March 15-16, 2016 at the National Library of Tajikistan in Dushanbe.

The forum will bring together heads of state-run news agencies of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan and Director-General of Russian government-run news agency TASS Sergei Mikhailov as well as representatives of the CIS Executive Committee.

It’s expected that during the meeting they consider issues of cooperation photo service and activities of news agencies in 2015 as well as preparation to celebrations on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Commonwealth of Independent states, which will be celebrated in December.

The Heads of CIS State News Agencies will also exchange views on the implementation of joint projects.

The CIS Information Council was set up in 1996, in accordance with the Agreement on the Establishment of the CIS Council of Heads of State News Agencies signed by CIS heads of state on November 3, 1995. The council, whose maiden session took place in 1996, is called to raise the potential of the mass media in CIS member countries, increase the level of effectiveness of exchange of information, disseminate objective information about CIS member states and to provide media assistance for cooperation projects. The council is made up of the heads of Armenian, Azerbaijani, Belarusian, Kazakhstani, Kyrgyz, Moldavian, Russian and Tajikistani state news agencies.