RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR TO BIH ALEXANDER BOTSAN-HARCHENKO VISITS ONASA AGENCY
SARAJEVO, August 16 (ONASA) – General Manager of the Independent News Agency ONASA Elvira Begovic received today at the headquarters of ONASA Agency in Sarajevo, Ambassador of the Russian Federation in BiH Alexander Botsan-Harchenko, whom she informed about the work of the Agency.
General Manager Elvira Begovic said that the mission of the Agency is continued contribution to the development of true, independent and professional information in an advanced, European-oriented, multicultural and multiethnic BiH, with aim of expanding its network outside of BiH too.
Russian Ambassador Harchenko said he is pleased with today’s “interesting and substantial” visit to the Agency ONASA.
He added that in future there is a possibility of establishing connections between ONASA Agency and news agencies in Russia.
“I gained the impression that ONASA Agency is working very actively, which is most important in the situation in which BiH is, and that is that the Agency encompasses the whole country,” said Ambassador Harchenko.
Speaking about the importance of an independent and objective journalism in modern democratic society, the Russian ambassador believes that it is the foundation for all media in a democratic country.
“The strategy of ONASA Agency is completely right and absolutely in line with the democratic development of the country, which is an objective attitude towards information and an objective and balanced attitude towards the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina in its every part,” added the Russian ambassador.
He emphasized that he was particularly pleased that he saw in the Agency a lot of educated young people of high professional level.
“This means that there is a desire for intense work and for further introduction to the profession and this media activity,” said the Russian ambassador.
He said that employees of the Agency have experience in diplomacy and other activities, which is very important in terms of professionalism and objectivity of information.
“I have such an impression that after this visit we have to develop more contacts between our Embassy and the Agency ONASA,” said Russian Ambassador.
According to him, Russia is much more common in the media of Republika Srpska (RS) than in the Federation BiH, “but this is not the choice of Russia”.
During the visit, Ambassador of Russia visited the business premises of ONASA and talked with the employees.
Ambassador Harchenko said that during conversation with the employees of the Agency ONASA he “gained the impression that the agency has a strategy of objective reporting.”
“ONASA Agency now is quite respectable and is becoming more prominent, given the large number of users of its information,” said Russian Ambassador to BiH.
Ambassador Harchenko was appointed the ambassador of Russia in Bosnia in September last year. (end)