Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s video message to the organisers, participants and guest of the 19th General Assembly of the Organisation of Asia-Pacific News Agencies (OANA), Moscow, June 19, 2025

Mr Kondrashov,

Colleagues.

I am delighted to greet the organisers, participants and guests of the 19th General Assembly of the Organisation of Asia-Pacific News Agencies (OANA), which is taking place as part of the St Petersburg International Economic Forum.

This Organisation has been operating as one of the biggest international associations of news agencies for many years now with a mission to encourage media outlets from across Eurasia, the Asia Pacific Region and the Middle East to exchange experience and share their best practices. It has been contributing to ensuring unbiased and impartial coverage of key international developments and has done a great deal to promote the values and high standards of honest journalism, while also defending the rights of all media professionals without distinction and free from any discrimination. Acting along these lines, it has helped make this world better, for which it deserves our respect and support.

You have quite a packed agenda for this gathering. It covers a wide range of matters all journalists face, from fighting fakes and misinformation to using artificial intelligence in your work.

Apart from plenary sessions, the General Assembly will also serve as a platform for holding meetings with Russian political and civil society leaders. You will also get to discover St Petersburg, Russia’s northern capital.

I am convinced that this Assembly will be constructive and fruitful. Its resolutions and recommendations will inject positive momentum into the politics-free dialogue and cooperation between various media outlets from the participating countries for promoting trust and mutual understanding in international and regional affairs.

I wish you interesting debates and all the best.