Russian mediaman underlines media influence on relations with Arab World

By Samie Al-Dulaimi and Talal Al-Snafi

SAINT PETERSBURG, Russia, Aug 10-- A senior Russian correspondent on Monday stressed the importance of media coverage for events of the Arab World to Russian-Arab relations.

Aydar Aganin, Editor-In-Chief of Russian news channel "Rusya Al-Yaum" (Russia Today in English) was speaking to KUNA about his organization's decision to report on the grand opening of the traveling exhibition of Indian Mughal antiquities owned by Kuwait's Dar Al-Athar Al-Islamiyah at the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg three days ago.

In his excellent Arabic, he spoke of how he specifically chose to attend the exhibition after he missed the previous one in Moscow at the Kremlin Museum three months ago.

"In service of Arab viewers as well as the Arab tourist and visitor we covered the opening in Moscow, and we made another report close to the end of the exhibition to remind viewers that the exhibition was still ongoing in Moscow," he noted.

On the goal of the news organization he said: "Our policy is to provide coverage for Russian issues, Russian-Arab issues like the exhibition, and cultural issues in Arab countries. Russia has good relations with the Arab World despite minor obstacles here and there, hence our motto 'a new project from an old friend'.

"We report on the life of Muslims and Islamic culture within Russia, by this, we build the bridges of understanding and dialogue between Muslim Russia and the Arab audiences in the Arab region." Asked about the idea behind its inception, he explained that Russian academics and politicians interested in the Arab region were major enthusiasts of the idea.

He named former Soviet Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov and Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Federation Council of Russia, Mikhail Margelov as two of them.

These officials built their intentions on the notion that "the Arab region comes second in importance after The West, in particular English-speaking nations," he indicated.

Rusya Al-Yaum started broadcasting globally to Arab viewers in 2007 in the footsteps of its English counterpart Russia Today which first started airing in 2005.

Both channels are sponsored by the state-owned Russian Information Agency Novosti, RIA-Novosti.

Part of the unique art at the Kuwaiti exhibition of "Treasury of the World	Part of the unique art at the Kuwaiti exhibition of "Treasury of the World	Part of the unique art at the Kuwaiti exhibition of "Treasury of the World
A group playing Indian pieces