Belarusian-Russian Draft Agreement on Cooperation in the Sphere of Information and Press Drawn Up and Now Being Considered in Russia

Legal foundation of Belarusian-Russian information cooperation is the intergovernmental Agreement on cooperation in the sphere of press signed in 1998. This document includes the issues of cooperation in the sphere of printed mass media, book publishing, book distribution and printing industry.

Legal foundation of Belarusian-Russian information cooperation is the intergovernmental Agreement on cooperation in the sphere of press signed in 1998. This document includes the issues of cooperation in the sphere of printed mass media, book publishing, book distribution and printing industry.

As provided by the joint resolution passed by Belarusian and Russian State Press Committees’ boards, in 1999 the procedure of granting licenses for distribution of Belarusian periodical printed matters on the territory of the Russian Federation and for Russian – on the territory of the Republic of Belarus was repealed. At the same time, normative and legal basis of bilateral information cooperation requires adjusting in accordance with up-to-date realities, and first of all it concerns the agreement signed in 1998. For instance, the document does not regulate specific issues of mutual unimpeded mass media distribution as well as cooperation in the area of TV and radio broadcasting.

As Irina Narkevich, Head of the Department on Social Policy and Information Support at the Standing Committee of the Union State, noted, first legal collisions in respect of electronic media have already arisen. “All major Russian TV channels are presented in Belarus while in Russia the situation is quite the opposite. One would think it is the time to come to an agreement about it. Why wouldn’t TV and radio organizations of the Union broadcast via federal Russian channels? Yet, we are getting nowhere fast,” she said at the meeting of the Committee on Information Policy at the Union State Parliamentary Assembly. A grand problem for Belarusian party is the broadcasting of international satellite channel “Belarus-TV” on the territory of the Russian Federation and in prospect – other national channels. “It is attributed to the terms stipulated by the current Russian legislation with regard to distribution of foreign audio-visual mass media. At present Russian party rates Belarusian mass media as foreign one,” explained I.Narkevich.

Under her words, now it is necessary to work out the details of the document which would regulate the issues of distributing both printed and electronic media, book printing. “The project is drawn up, at present it is being considered by Russian party,” reported I.Narkevitch. Draft name of the document – intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in the sphere of information and press.

Draft agreement developed by Belarusian party takes into account normative and legal, economic and other conditions of Belarusian-Russian information cooperation, details issues of cooperation in the area of TV and radio broadcasting. According to the draft, the parties recognize mass media registration certificates issued in Belarus and in Russia. These certificates have equal legal effect on the territory of the two countries. Mass media registered in compliance with current Belarusian and Russian legislations can be distributed on the territory of Belarus and Russia without corresponding licenses provided the information in the materials doesn’t contradict national legislation of the parties.

The agreement will become an interim document which will provide legal foundation to form common information space. According to I.Narkevich, draft agreement may be examined at the next cabinet council of the Union State.