Putin, Bush Greet Media Partnership

As they met at the negotiation table in Washington, Presidents Vladimir Putin and George W. Bush approved the start of a Russian-US entrepreneurial dialogue for the mass media, report White House PR. The dialogue means to encourage competitive Russian-based media outlets able to provide the entire range of services on the basis of top-notch journalism and pioneer technologies. The two countries' professionals engaged in the private media will seek the ways of improving conditions for the Russian media as business. As far as White House officers know, Russian and US experts and managers will delve into Russian media business problems and predicaments, highlight fields in which particular laws, regulations, practice and infrastructure hamper media progress, and blueprint necessary political changes to improve the Russian media business climate. The initiative is open to interested journalists, media experts, companies and business associations in America and Russia, and welcomes international media organisation activists who choose to join in, says the White House press service. The dialogue will be open to the press and electronic media--small, medium-range and big organisations alike--and a wide range of media industrial professionals from both countries with an experience of regional work. The ANPA and the National Broadcasting Association came out on the US side to call for the dialogue. Russia is choosing prospective corporate partners. The Internews and the Internews-Russia pledge organisational backing. The two federal governments will consider dialogue achievements and pledge profound analyses of whatever recommendations that may be elaborated, the White House PR say in a statement.