The Hindu : National : Iran keen on Indian media presence

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Thursday, Feb 14, 2008
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Iran keen on Indian media presence

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: Iran is keen on having Indian media in the country. This was conveyed by Iranian Vice Minister Seyed Mohammad Ali Hosseini here on Wednesday when he called on Minister of Information and Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs Priyaranjan Dasmunsi.

Five Iranian news agencies were ready for cooperation with India. “Our proposal is to establish friendship society between India and Iran and arranging interaction between the media from the two sides,” he said. An arrangement was in place with the Press Trust of India (PTI) and this could be further extended, he pointed out.

Mutual deliberations between the two countries would further strengthen the relationship of traditional friendship, he said.

Abdul Reza Bondi, Iranian News Agency, Chief of Bureau, said the agency did not face any difficulty in functioning in its 30 years of presence in India.

He, however, felt that more interaction with the Iranian media could project the Indian viewpoint up to the Iranian public in a better way.

“Decision soon’

Mr. Dasmunsi said the Ministry would discuss the issue and take a speedy decision.

Giving a broad view of the media scene in India, Mr. Dasmunsi said freedom of the media was guaranteed by the Constitution and it was one of the pillars of democracy.

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