MOSCOW, September 01./ITAR-TASS/.Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday congratulated Russia's oldest news agency  ITAR-TASS  on its 110th anniversary.

"The  ITAR-TASS anniversary is a big and important event," Putin said in his telegram.

"Russia's oldest news agency founded in the beginning of the 20th century has always taken a proactive part in the country's life," Putin said praising the agency's team "as creative and devoted people" who belong to the country's media elite.

"The agency has been firmly associated with high-quality and unbiased information and bright, fresh and original ideas," the president said.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Monday congratulated ITAR-TASS on the 110th anniversary and said his ministry appreciated partnership with Russia's oldest news agency.

"We are ready for developing cooperation aiming to improve media coverage of Russia's foreign policy and to strenghten our country's position on the international scene,"Lavrov said.

"ITAR-TASS today is holding the Russian media market leadership and ranks among the world's five largest and most influential news agencies," he said.

The minister said the agency "is trying to keep up with the times" and provides a prompt, trustworthy and professional coverage of most important events in Russia and abroad.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Monday congratulated the staff of Russia’s state-run news agency ITAR-TASS on the 110th jubilee.

“The work of the news agency’s journalists serves the model of energetic and operational impartial, exact and competent journalism. Belarus appreciates the news agency’s contribution to strengthening friendship and cooperation between our fraternal peoples,” Lukashenko said in a greetings message, placed on the president’s website.

Russia’s leading state-run news agency ITAR-TASS was founded in 1904.