A regular joint meeting of the Council of Heads of State and Public TV and Radio Organizations of the CIS Member States (the Council) and the Administrative Council of the Interstate Information Pool of the Commonwealth Member States (IIP) was held in the Avaza National Tourist Zone in Turkmenistan.
The meeting was attended by plenipotentiary representatives of the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tajikistan, the Interstate Television and Radio Company “Mir” (MTRK Mir) and the CIS Executive Committee. Representatives of Turkmenistan and the Republic of Uzbekistan participated as observers.
At the beginning of the meeting, Director of the Information and Analytical Department of the CIS Executive Committee Alexander Matyash delivered a welcoming address from CIS Secretary-General Sergey Lebedev to the participants of the joint meeting.
The meeting was chaired by the Chairman of the Council, Director of the International Relations Directorate of the Federal State Unitary Enterprise “All-Russian State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company”, Peter Fedorov.
In accordance with the agenda, participants reviewed the preliminary results of the Council’s and the IIP’s activities in the current year and discussed prospects for deepening multifaceted cooperation in the field of television and radio broadcasting and media coverage within the Commonwealth format.
Particular attention was paid to the theme of the 35th anniversary of the CIS, marked in 2026. TV and radio organisations of the CIS countries and MTRK Mir are actively participating in the preparation and broadcasting of media projects dedicated to the 35th anniversary of the Commonwealth, and work has been organised to provide comprehensive coverage and media support in their countries for the events of 2026.
The Interstate Information Pool is actively used for the exchange of video materials, within which the most important milestones in the organisation's activities are published. Since 1 January 2026, a video exchange package “35 Years of the Commonwealth” has been created on its basis, which is being filled with video clips from the Pool's participating countries.
The year 2026 in the CIS is marked not only by the 35th anniversary of the Association. The Year of Health Protection has also become one of the central themes of the Council’s and the Pool’s media programmes. A number of television projects have been prepared, and active coverage of the events of the Plan approved by the Decision of the CIS Heads of Government Council of 29 September 2025 is underway.
In addition, a significant place in the work of 2026 is occupied by media coverage of Turkmenistan's chairmanship of the CIS and humanitarian projects: “Meghri – Cultural Capital of the Commonwealth”, “Kapan – CIS Youth Capital”, “Almaty – Sports Capital of the Commonwealth”, as well as other priority areas.
It should be noted that the Concept of Turkmenistan’s Chairmanship of the CIS in 2026 separately highlights the area of cooperation in the humanitarian sphere: the development of media cooperation and the promotion of a positive image of the CIS in the information space, which corresponds to the main areas of the Council’s activities.
The joint meeting participants paid particular attention to the work of the Council’s most important instrument – the Interstate Information Pool, whose activities represent an exemplary project of interaction among the Commonwealth countries. A detailed report on this matter was delivered by Vladimir Kazarezov, the Coordinator of the Interstate Information Pool of the CIS Member States, Deputy Chairman of MTRK Mir.
According to him, the Pool has increased its membership and the number of video items in its common collection during the reporting period. This year, a new participant joined the IIP – a new cooperation format “CIS Plus” was used to attract new members. In April, a decision was adopted to admit the Autonomous Non-Profit Organisation “Media Company of the Union State” to the Pool. The total number of video materials since the Pool began operating has exceeded 65,000.
The Council members outlined the prospects for information interaction in the coming year 2027. Detailed information was presented by Director of the Information and Analytical Department of the CIS Executive Committee Alexander Matyash.
During the meeting, other issues concerning the further development of the Council’s and the IIP’s activities, as well as cooperation in the field of television and radio broadcasting within the Commonwealth as a whole, were also discussed.
The meeting participants were invited to raise the level of news reporting in the media on the activities of the CIS statutory and sectoral bodies, as well as on the processes taking place in the Commonwealth. They took part in the press conference “Independent, Permanently Neutral Turkmenistan – Land of Noble Horses and Aspirations”, dedicated to achievements in the field of television and cinema.
The Council members participated in the ceremony summarising the results and awarding the winners of the Interstate Television Film Contest of the CIS Member States “Flight of the Horse: Power and Grace”, the International Exhibition of National Cuisine of the CIS Member States, and the International Contest “Tatar Kyzy – 2026”. The guests of Turkmenistan were also introduced to the technical equipment and work of the International Information Centre, as well as the tourism potential of the Avaza National Tourist Zone.
The next joint meeting of the Council of Heads of State and Public TV and Radio Organizations of the CIS Member States and the Administrative Council of the Interstate Information Pool of the CIS Member States will be held in 2027. The date and venue of the meeting will be agreed through working channels.