The International Conference The Role of Mass Media in promoting integration processes within the Eurasian Union took place in Moscow on December 4-5. The Conference having been arranged with the aid of the Federal Agency for Press and Mass Media of Russia gathered representatives of scientific and expert community from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Pridnestrovie and Moldova. Tatyana Naumova, Deputy Director of the Federal Agency for Press and Mass Media, Armen Oganesyan, Editor-in-Chief of the International Life magazine, Ruslan Grinberg, Director of the Economics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Vladimir Lepekhin, Director of the EurAsEC Institute, General Director – the First Assistant of the Editor-in-Chief of the Russia Today TV channel took part in the event. Pridnestrovie was represented by Igor Shornikov, Chief of the Department for Public Communications and Information-Technical Support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Alena Rozhenko, Deputy Director of the Public Service for Communications, Information and Mass Media.
According to the forum moderators The Eurasian Economic Community, which should be formed by 2015, was designed as an economical and political basis of new integration level for the former Soviet Union and is destined to become a new centre of power in the world. As historical experience shows the implementation of such a large-scaled integration project is impossible without wide public support and this one is considerably formed by mass media. Main subjects of discussion were devoted to cooperation strategy of representatives of government institutions, civil society and mass media concerning informational support of the creation of the EurAsEC as well as objectives and tasks of mass media in the course of the Eurasian integration.
Nowadays The Eurasian Economic Community is being created on the basis of the Customs Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan. Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, Armenia and Uzbekistan can join it. Speeches of the participants of the conference demonstrated that the idea of entrance in the Eurasian Community increasingly comes over the society in Ukraine and Moldova. Abkhazia and South Ossetia consider participation in the Eurasian Community as a precondition for their further development. And for Pridnestrovie the Eurasian integration became the national purpose and the background of the foreign policy course of the country. It was noticed on the forum that realia of modern life, necessity of economical development as well as common cultural and historical connections prod these states to the integration.
According to participants of the conference consolidation of the near-abroad media community is the most important task to be faced by the followers of the Eurasian integration. The mission of mass media is to bring to the audience information about perspectives that are being opened for the participants of the Eurasian project, to give impartial coverage to obstacles that the society of integrating countries shall meet, to assist breaking the barriers.
A number of proposals on consolidation of efforts of civil society for the purposes of promotion of ideas of the Eurasian integration were raised during the conference.
