Astana is hosting the Sixth Forum of European and Asian Media (FEAM) with integration processes on the post-Soviet space as the main topic for discussions. Kazakhstan will see over 250 heads of mass media, observers, politicians, bloggers, experts and analysts from over 15 states of Europe and Asia. Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan are taking part. Alexey Vlasov, Editor-in-Chief of Vestnik Kavkaza, is part of the Russian delegation.
The forum starts with a demonstration of Nikita Mikhalkov's documentary "Russian Philosopher - Ivan Ilyin". Svetlana Mironyuk, head of RIA Novosti and organizer of the forum, made the opening speech.
The FEAM-2011 includes plenary and sectional sessions, round-table conferences, presentations of media projects. Special sessions will be launched to discuss the most topical issues, such as social networks, functioning of media industry within instable economy and influence of state administration on the Internet.
Alexander Iskandaryan, an Armenian political analyst and Director of the Institute for the Caucasus, told Vestnik Kavkaza that integration in the post-Soviet space will be one of the main topics. The topic is related to the Eurasian Union which is an economic union. The analyst says that its is still unclear which states would compose it besides Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan.
Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev greeted participants of the forum, calling it an authoritative platform. The president's message was read out by Baglan Maylybayev, head of the Presidential Administration.
Nazarbayev believes that such meetings contribute to integration processes in the area. He pointed out the symbolism of Astana hosting the forum under the slogan "Information partnership of independent states: experience of 20 years". The president also reminded that Kazakhstan will mark the 20th anniversary on December 16.
Nazarbayev reminded that Kazakhstan is a member of the EurAsEC, CSTO and the Customs Union. Kazakhstan has become chairman of the OSCE.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev hopes that new ideas of the Forum of European and Asian Media would be useful and would contribute to international humanitarian cooperation. Russian Deputy Minister for Communication Alexey Malinin read Medvedev's letter out, RIA Novosti reports.
Medvedev underlined that development of communication and technologies makes media a more significant source.
