Welcome mote to the first Eurasian Media Forum delegates and guests from the President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation

My sincere greetings to delegates and guests of the first Eurasian Media Forum, having a meeting at the hospitable land of Kazakhstan.

The role of mass media in strengthening interstate relations and fostering development of good neighborhood between nations is steadily increasing: the mass media bring people and countries together and offer new opportunities for business and cultural collaboration. Therefore, I believe the Forum, initiated in such a representative Eurasian context, to be very timely and important.

The media should be firmly based on democratic values and the free exchange of information, abide by basic principles of professional ethics in their activities.

I wish the Forum fruitful work, many further interesting meetings and all the best to its participants.