YEREVAN, 25 NOVEMBER, ARMENPRESS. President Serzh Sargsyan received on November 25 the heads of the leading news agencies in the Black Sea region and in the CIS who are in Armenia to discuss issues on the perspectives of the development of informational partnership and the deepening of partnership. Today the representatives of the region’s largest news agencies are holding the 7^th session of the General Assembly of the Black Sea Association of National News Agencies and the 19^th session of the Council of Heads of State Media in the CIS countries.

As the Department of Public Relations and Mass Media of the President of the Republic of Armenia reports to “ArmenPress”, the President welcomed the participants of the meeting and their decision to hold the regular sessions in Yerevan. Serzh Sargsyan attached importance to such meetings from the angle of enhancing informational partnership. In his welcoming speech, the President of the Republic of Armenia voiced hope for further reinforcement and deepening of the high-level friendly relations and partnership between “ArmenPress” state news agency and the leading news agencies of the Black Sea region and the CIS countries. Emphasizing the fact that information technologies are developing at a rapid pace and that that impetuous development is leading to the increase in amount of and access to information, the President considered that a challenge on the one hand, and a great opportunity on the other. In that context, Serzh Sargsyan also talked about the freedom of press, mentioning that Armenia believes that freedom of press and the access to information are the pillars of democracy and civil society and, guided by that principle, creates opportunities for the complete manifestation of freedom of press. According to the President, Armenia has made some progress in that direction, and prestigious international organizations also record that progress.

Serzh Sargsyan also answered different questions of the heads of the news agencies related to regional developments, Armenia’s economy and integration processes, including the process of accession to the Eurasian Economic Union, the perspectives of the development of the Armenia-EU cooperation, Armenia’s relations with different countries and more.