Moldpres State News Agency Public Institution marks 30th anniversary

Chisinau, 20 June /MOLDPRES/ - The MOLDPRES State News Agency Public Institution marks the 30th anniversary of its foundation today.

The Moldpres agency has the task to ensure the production and spread of information, publication and editing of official acts, inform the public opinion of Moldova and from abroad about the state policy and the current activity of Moldova’s public authorities, provide editorial poly-graphic and advertising services, produce and sell photo and video materials.    

Founded under the decision No 122-XII of the Supreme Soviet (legislative body) of the Moldovan Soviet Socialist Republic (RSSM) from 20 June 1990, following the liquidation of the ATEM Moldovan Information Agency, Moldpres insistently got the status of official ‘’voice’’ of the state, which spreads written information, photo and video materials about the political, economic, social, scientific news of Moldova and from the world to public and private institutions, written and audiovisual media, diplomatic representations, international media institutions.   

The first director of the institution was journalist Vasile Vatamanu. During years, the institution was led by Dumitru Tara, Boris Marian, Mihail Belous, Ion Coretchi, Valeriu Renita and Vlad Darie. Presently, the agency’s director general is Andrei Volentir.     

Immediately after its foundation, the Moldova-pres National News Agency, as it was initially defined, established the first cooperation relations with the Rompres National News Agency (Romania) and the ITAR-TASS News Agency (Russia).  

Since the first day of the unleashing of the Transnistria War till the signing of the ceasefire agreement, Moldpres has consistently informed about the situation in the conflict-stricken zone, representing the only truthful information source in the region at that time.    

Initially subordinated to the parliament, in 1994, the Agency switches to the management of Moldova’s government and becomes editor of Moldova's Official Journal (Monitorul Oficial). Subsequently, structural amendments came about, the goal of which was to optimize the managerial activity and turn Moldpres into a modern mass media structure, with three main activity directions: spreading information of wide public interest, editing of the Official Journal (Monitorul Oficial) and the photo reports.   

In 1996, the Agency became state enterprise, carrying out its work in self-financing regime. In the next year, Moldpres established cooperation relations with the BELTA News Agency (Belarus) and in 2001, Moldpres became full-fledged member of the Alliance of Balkan News Agencies – ABNA, which includes the concerned structures from Turkey, Albania, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Slovenia, Yugoslavia and Macedonia. In the same year, Moldpres signed collaboration agreements for exchange of information with the DINAU News Agency (Ukraine), MTI (Hungary) and New China (People’s Republic of China).   

Starting from July 2001, already with the name Moldpres State News Agency, it switched to the subordination of Moldova’s State Chancellery. In the same year, Moldpres organized an exhibition of photos titled, Chez nous (In Our Country), and the event’s protagonist was artist photographer Mihai Potarniche – the head of the Fotomoldpres department. The Event was appreciated by the European elite.  

On 20 May 2004, in Sofia, Bulgaria, an agreement on cooperation in the information sector was signed between the Moldpres agency and BTA and in March 2006, a cooperation agreement was signed with the UKRINFORM National News Agency of Ukraine. In June 2006, the cooperation protocol between Moldpres and BELTA of Belarus was renewed. In 2010, after a long period of stagnation, the national news agencies of Romania and Moldova – AGERPRES and Moldpres, resumed their relations and the two agencies were to carry out mutual exchange of news, information and sale of photographic products.   

Presently, Moldpres exchanges information with the following news agencies: Agerpres (Romania), ITAR-TASS (Russia), Ukrinform (Ukraine), BELTA (Belarus), BTA (Bulgaria), XINHUA (China), etc. The agency has a press centre with a modern conference hall and a Centre for Public relations within the Official Journal (Monitorul Oficial) Department. With a richest photo archive of Moldova, the Agency permanently completes its database with materials on state construction, present political and economic state, Moldova’s international relations.     

On 23 June 2018, under a Moldovan government decision, the state enterprise Moldpres State News Agency was reorganized through transformation into the public institution Moldpres State News Agency, with the State Chancellery as founder.  

According to the professional deontology, Moldpres is guided by the principle of work outside any political and ideological or other kind of influences, which would hit the impartiality, accuracy and pluralism. An important direction in the latest activity of the Agency is the promotion of Moldova’s image in the world, covering the events on the country’s integration into the European structures and implementation of the western living standards.  

The News Editorial Office provides the mass media market with a wide range of information products in the columns: Official, Social, Political, Economic, Culture, Regional, Sport, External News, Agenda, Press Releases. Moldpres reporters daily cover the most important events from Moldova and from abroad, thus contributing to the objective and equidistant informing of the wide public. Thanks to an intense international cooperation, the Moldpres news is present on the international platforms ANIA and BSANNA. Thus, from the geographical vewpoint, the Agency has its tribune both in Bucharest and Baku, Ankara, Kiev, Belgrade, Moscow, etc. Moldpres ensures the translation of its information production in the English and Russian languages.    

The Official Journal of Moldova is the only state’s official publication, a public structure of national interest, which ensures a high professionalism in the publication of the law, which must be known and enforced exactly by the authorities and citizens, permanently facilitates the exact and quick knowledge of the official acts, thus contributing to the strengthening of the rule of law state.