Russian and African Media Practitioners Create Joint Association For Promoting Russian-African Relations

Russian and African media representatives and practitioners marked the 30th anniversary of World Press Freedom Day and the 32nd anniversary of the Windhoek Declaration on Promoting the Development of an Independent and Pluralistic African Press by establishing a new association.

Both Russian and African media practitioners pledged to continue to uphold the highest standards of journalism – including accuracy, fairness and impartiality – and also embrace innovation to adapt to the fast-changing media landscape.

This initiative is an important milestone in the long history of mutually beneficial cooperation between Russia and Africa. The importance of interaction in the field of creating, exchanging and disseminating objective and reliable information is growing even more in the light of common goals and aspirations to build a fair and equitable system of international relations based on the principles of national identity and cultural diversity.

According to the document which was signed, it recognized the importance of international cooperation in the field of creation, exchange and dissemination of objective and reliable information, strengthening cooperation in the development of information and communication technologies.

It further plans to expand cooperation in the information sphere, including strengthening ties between national, regional and local media, information exchange, training (retraining) of journalists, contacts through relevant ministries and departments, as well as commercial structures and public organizations.

The Memorandum on Information Cooperation between African and Russian Media affirmed the principles of fair cooperation between the continents in the field of information exchange. The establishment of the Association of Journalists of Russia and Africa becomes necessary in order to coordinate efforts to form and strengthen Russian-African relations in this area.

In accordance with the initiatives and projects put forward on May 3, 1991 at the UNESCO seminar in Windhoek (Namibia) – to assist in the creation of a data bank for the independent African press, which would receive the news reports necessary for newspapers and other publications.

In accordance with paragraph 10 of the Declaration of Windhoek, to assist in providing financial support for the development and creation of non-governmental newspapers, magazines and periodicals that would express public opinion in general and the various points of view existing in the communities for which these publications are intended. Happy World Press Freedom Day!