The agreement provides for the exchange of media content in English. The two parties have also expressed their determination to enhance professional ties and agreed to consider the implementation of special image-building projects.
READ MORE: Filmmaker Kusturica Tells Sputnik About Russia's '200 Year' Mission in Balkans
"Sputnik attaches great importance to promoting cooperation with media outlets operating in India. For this reason, we highly appreciate the opportunity to enter into an enhanced partnership with ANI, India’s leading news agency. I strongly believe that exchanging news content and engaging in joint initiatives as partners will further promote cooperation between our countries," Kochetkov said, as quoted by Sputnik press service.
ANI CEO and Editor-in-Chief Sanjiv Prakash, in turn, stressed that India and Russia enjoyed strategic cooperation.
"The news exchange agreement between Sputnik News Agency and Asian News International is going to be beneficial for India-Russia media ties. It will help improve coverage of Russia in India and India in Russia. We look forward to this agreement in sharing of news and information," Prakash stated.
Sputnik is a major international media outlet that brings under one roof multimedia websites in 32 languages designed for audiences in many countries and regions, as well as analogue and digital radio broadcasting in Russian, English and French in 130 cities around the world and online. Sputnik newswires in English, Arabic, Spanish and Chinese are updated 24/7 and used by the leading media outlets around the world. Sputnik media resources have a monthly audience of over 50 million visitors, and almost 9 million subscribers to Sputnik China’s Weibo account. Sputnik operates 22 hubs across the world, from Beijing to Montevideo, with a diverse staff of more than 1,000 employees. Headquartered in Moscow, Sputnik is part of Rossiya Segodnya media group.