DUSHANBE, April 29, 2009, Asia-Plus — Iran’s news agency, Fars News Agency (FNA), will open its representative office in Tajikistan.
Speaking in an interview with Asia-Plus, the FINA Regional Representative for Central Asia, Mr. Mohammed Siddigifar said that an official ceremony of opening of FNA’s representative office would be held on April 30. According to him, Tajik office will be the first representative office of FNA abroad.
Siddiqifar expressed hope that FNA could become a bridge linking the countries of the region sharing common culture and historical roots. He added that FNA also planned to open its representative offices in other Central Asia’s countries as well as Afghanistan, Pakistan and India in the near future. “Unbiased coverage of events taking place in the region is the key professional principle of our news agency,” said Siddiqifar, “Priorities of activity of FNA in Tajikistan will be issues related to promoting integration of the countries of the region, further expansion of close cooperation in information, scientific, cultural and economic spheres as well as development of new opportunities and prospects for the countries of the region.”
Underlining the importance and firmness of principles of preparation and presentation of information by FNA, Mohammed Siddiqifar considers that by strengthening factors such as responsiveness, accuracy and authenticity the agency will be able to consolidate its influence in the region and “counter Western news agencies’ attempts to monopolize information space and misrepresent facts.” He added that FNA’s office in Tajikistan would enlist the services of Tajik reporters as well.
The FNA director general Hamed Reza Moqaddamfar heading Iranian delegation will arrive in Dushanbe to attend the office-opening ceremony. Director and script writer of “Yusuf-e Payambar” (Prophet Yusuf) serial, which is very popular in Tajikistan, Mr. Farajullah Selahshour, will be also among the delegation members.
Iranian privately-owned news agency, Fars News Agency (FNA), was officially launched in Tehran in February 2002.
