ST. PETERSBURG, June 17. /TASS/. The heads of 15 leading global news agencies have been invited to a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on June 18 on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), TASS Director General Andrey Kondrashov said.
TASS will traditionally be the organizer of the event, which will be held in this format for the ninth time. "This year, 15 heads of the world's leading news agencies have been invited to the meeting," the TASS director general said.
According to him, representatives of news agencies from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Asia, Europe, the United States and other parts of the world will be able to ask the president questions.
"TASS, of course, will ask questions of its own," Kondrashov said. "We can say with confidence that every meeting between the president and leaders of the global media landscape always set off genuine "information explosions." International outlets race to quote our president, and breaking news flashes across the world. But this is not only about breaking news, but the fact that Vladimir Putin's answers give many people around the world an opportunity to understand Russia's position on key world issues and challenges. They break through the silence imposed by Western political circles and mainstream media."
Earlier, the Russian leader's aide Yury Ushakov said that Putin would hold a meeting on Wednesday with the heads of international news agencies, where, among other things, he will speak about the situation in the world.
OANA General Assembly
During SPIEF, TASS is also hosting the 19th General Assembly of the Organization of Asia-Pacific News Agencies (OANA), the event will be held from June 18 to 20.
"We are expecting more than one 100 leaders and members of OANA delegations and guests to the General Assembly. The General Assembly, which is the highest governing body of OANA, will elect a new executive committee, vice presidents of the organization, technical and ethics committees. The TASS agency will chair OANA in 2025-2028," Kondrashov noted.
The Organization of Asia-Pacific News Agencies was established in 1961 at the initiative of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Its mission is to ensure the direct and free exchange of information in the Asia-Pacific region, actively promote diverse perspectives on global events and advocate for the concept of a multipolar world. "Today, OANA brings together 41 news agencies from 33 countries, being the largest global media organization. Its member countries account for two thirds of the total volume of the world information flow," he added.
The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum will run on June 18-21 under the theme: "Shared Values: The Foundation of Growth in a Multipolar World." The thematic zone ‘Territory of Innovations’ and the national brand space ‘Buy Russian!’ will operate at the Forum. The Roscongress Foundation is the organizer of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. TASS is its information partner.