The Russian Foreign Ministry has sent an analytical note “On the state and role of Russian-language mass media in the CIS countries” reflecting the level of information of the Russian Foreign Ministry about the problems of media environment of adjacent countries, principal approaches of the ministry to assessment of its prospects, as well as the political realities in these states, News.Az reports. The geographical coverage of the document is broader than the CIS and includes Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Georgia.
According to Regnum, the note on Azerbaijan says that cooperation with Azerbaijan is quite stable. The Russian-language press (50 printed editions and 7 news agencies), which accounts for a 12% share of the overall number of mass media outlets in the country, has preserved its influence and popularity and continues to play an important role in the formation of public opinion in Azerbaijan.
Despite the decision of the Azerbaijani side in January 2007 to cease the intergovernmental agreement on Russian television and radio broadcasting organizations in Azerbaijan unilaterally, Russia media have managed to preserve or expand their positions within the country.
