13th world congress of Russian press ended in Odessa Fri.

ODESSA, June 18 (Itar-Tass) -- The 13th World Congress of the Russian
Press ended in the Ukrainian Black Sea port of Odessa on Friday. The final
session of the forum was devoted to issues of the Russian media's
self-financing, the establishment of public media and social media. The
participants discussed prospects for international humanitarian financing
and Russian grants.
The president of the World Association of the Russian Press, Itar-Tass
Director-General Vitaly Ignatenko described the congress, which was held
in two stages - in Kiev and Odessa - as successful. "We have worked
successfully and productively," he said and added, addressing the
delegates that "irrespective of how hard you may find it to carry on your
work is very useful and promising." Ignatenko thanked the Ukrainian
colleagues for their hospitality and for the opportunity to
comprehensively discuss the challenges and problems of the global
Russian-language press on Ukrainian soil.
Congress participants drew attention to the interest the leaders of
Ukraine had taken in the work of the media forum. On its first day in Kiev
President Viktor Yanukovich addressed the delegates to assess the
situation in the country and speak about the priorities of Ukraine's
development.
"National pragmatism in the foreign policy of President Yanukovich can
be seen from afar," the editor-in-chief and publisher of a Russian
language newspaper in Ireland, Sergei Tarutin, said about Yanukovich's
address. "We in Ireland, although that country is far from the Ukraine,
clearly see the desire of the authorities in Kiev to defend the country's
interests in various spheres." This, he said, is evident in relations
between Ukraine and its strategic partner - Russia. "Kiev takes a
principled stance in negotiations on a range of gas issues. This is true
not only of the strong demand for lowering gas prices, but also of the
issue of establishing a joint venture between Gazprom and Naftogaz
Ukrainy. One cannot but feel respect for the president's policy of
protecting Ukrainian interests at negotiations with the EU. There is an
unmistakably technocratic approach of Yanukovich and his team to all
foreign partners," said Tarutin.
The editor-in-chief and publisher of Russian Switzerland magazine,
Alexander Peske, believes that President Viktor Yanukovich can go down in
the history of Ukraine as a reformer. "Not every politician will undertake
to implement the heavy reforms to modernize different spheres of life,"
said Peske. "At first almost any reform is fraught with a wary attitude to
it by society and as a consequence, with a fall of the rating of
confidence in the politician. Nevertheless Yanukovich acts regardless of
the forthcoming elections to parliament. This demonstrates the purity of
his thoughts and the commitment to raise the standard of living of his
people. "
The editor-in-chief of the Lithuanian Courier, Valery Tretyakov,
believes that Ukraine's democratic gains are in no danger. "The alarm
bells are being rung by those who have nothing to suggest instead of the
program for the modernization of the country and for restoring elementary
order. The fight against corruption is being used by the opposition to
whip up tensions over human rights and civil liberties. The Lithuanian
journalist said that the recently adopted Ukrainian law on access to
public information showed the authorities' openness to society and their
willingness to give full information about government activities," said
Tretyakov.
"President Viktor Yanukovich's policy of restoring good-neighborly
strategic relations with Russia meets the interests of an overwhelming
majority of citizens of Ukraine," said the editor-in-chief the Finnish
newspaper Spectrum, Eilina Gusakinskaya. She said she judges the situation
in Ukraine not only by opinion polls, because she often visits Ukraine and
knows the mood of the people "not by hearsay."
"The recent five years of 'orange rule' are recalled by many
Ukrainians as a nightmare," the journalist from Finland said about Ukraine'
s modern history. "Some wished to spark a quarrel among the Ukrainians and
the Russians and to build a barbed-wire fence on the border, to break up
the large family of two Slavic nations - Ukrainian and Russian."
The next World Congress of the Russian Press will be held in Italy
next year.