AZERTAC Director General Aslan Aslanov has hailed the importance of the 5th News Agencies World Congress which today wrapped up in Baku, saying it featured a number of interesting media projects and proposals.

“AZERTAC has built effective relations with influential news agencies of the world. We also cooperate within international organizations. We discussed serious problems, which concern the world media here at three sessions yesterday and two sessions today. At the same time, media professionals presented their projects and put forward interesting proposals,” he told journalists.

“For instance, the Japanese news agency presented a new project, while Reuters put forward new proposals. This was very important and grabbed the participants` interest,” added Mr Aslanov.

He said that on the sidelines of the 5th News Agencies World Congress, AZERTAC signed cooperation agreements with news agencies of several countries, including Spain, Bahrain and Paraguay.

AZERTAC`s Director General highlighted the history of international and regional media organizations.

“EANA, the European Alliance of News Agencies, was initially founded in 1956. OANA, the Organization of Asia-Pacific News Agencies, was established at the initiative of UNESCO in 1961, and FANA, the Federation of Arab News Agencies, in 1964. Finally, the 1st News Agencies World Congress took place in 2004 at the initiative of Russia’s TASS news agency.”

Aslan Aslanov told about the structure of the News Agencies World Congress. He said that three years ago AZERTAC bid to host the next Congress, and won this right at the 4th Congress in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, supported by the majority of the organization`s executive body.”

Aslan Aslanov also said that OANA is the largest regional media organization. “44 news agencies from 35 countries are members of the organization, and they account for the two thirds of the world`s total information flow.”