The Russian government believes it expedient to sign this Convention at the session of the CIS Heads of Government Council.
According to the draft Convention, the sides shall ensure the most favourable conditions for correspondents to carry out their professional activity, to receive and spread information about the political, social, economic and cultural life of the state of accreditation.
The legal status of a correspondent shall be regulated by the generally recognised principles and norms of the International Law, international treaties, the provisions of this Convention and the national legislation of the host state.
The correspondents shall be given the right to a free movement in the territory of the state of accreditation, excluding the areas and facilities for visiting which a special procedure has been established.
The sides shall observe the right of the correspondents to a free transmission of his materials to the media outlet which he represents in a way not prohibited by the legislation, the draft Convention says.
The applications for accrediting a correspondent and opening a correspondent office shall be considered within the period of not more than two months since the reception of a written application.
The sides in the person of authorised bodies shall abstain from adopting limiting measures, including such as to deprive a correspondent of accreditation or deporting him from the state of accreditation because of the content of his information, except the cases of the violation of the legislation.
The Convention shall be valid for five years from the moment of its coming into force and shall be automatically prolonged for the next five-year period if the sides do not take another decision.
