ASTRAKHAN, August 22. /TASS/. Russia and the Caspian countries are connected not only by good-neighborly relations but also by deep bonds of mutual trust that have stood the test of time, TASS Director General Andrey Kondrashov said during the X Caspian Media Forum in Astrakhan, where he is moderating the plenary session.
"The USSR is a country we all remember well, a country that had many good things. And the friendship between its peoples was a model for the entire planet Earth. It is a great honor for us to welcome [to the forum] the ambassadors extraordinary and plenipotentiary of three friendly nations: the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Republic of Kazakhstan. We are still connected not merely by good-neighborly relations, but by deep historical bonds of mutual trust and comprehensive cooperation, which have long been proven over time," said the head of the agency.
The X Caspian Media Forum is taking place in Astrakhan on August 22. This year’s event brings together over 1,000 journalists, government officials, and public organization representatives from Russia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, as well as Gagauzia and Uzbekistan. The forum's key theme is "The History of the Caspian: From the Past to the Future."
As stated at the forum’s plenary session by Astrakhan Region Governor Igor Babushkin, the goal for its participants is to continue forming a unified media space around the Caspian and to seek new channels and opportunities for strengthening mutual understanding between states. "The media play a vital role in this, as they shape public opinion and must help the audience distinguish truth and common sense from hostile propaganda. Unfortunately, we are seeing its manifestations more and more often," he noted.
The forum also included an awards ceremony for the winners of the Caspian Without Borders journalism competition. Over its 12-year history, the competition has seen participation from more than 520 media outlets and bloggers from the Caspian region: Russia, the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Republic of Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. This year, the topic of greatest interest to journalists was the future of the Caspian Sea and its inhabitants. In particular, many works focused on the problem of the sea’s shallowing and the issue of restoring the sturgeon population. The competition’s grand prize was awarded to a piece by Anastasia Kuznetsova of VGTRK Lotos about Pyotr Bukharitsyn, the chairman of the Astrakhan regional branch of the Russian Geographical Society, who went missing during an expedition.
About the Caspian Media Forum
The idea for the forum was born in 2014 at a summit of the five Caspian Sea countries (Russia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkmenistan). The first Caspian Media Forum was held in Astrakhan in 2015. Over the years of the forum’s existence, a Caspian editorial office and a Caspian expert club have been established in the Astrakhan region and regular information exchange takes place. The forum is organized by the government of the Astrakhan Region with the support of the Russian Presidential Administration, the Russian Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Russian Ministry of Culture.
TASS is the general information partner of the media forum. A live broadcast of the events is organized on TASS’s official platforms, as well as on the Caspian Media Forum’s website.