DUSHANBE, April 30, 2009, Asia-Plus - Iran’s Fars News Agency (FNA) is opening its correspondent office in Dushanbe today morning.

The ceremony of opening of the correspondent office, whch is expected  to cover development sin Tajikistan and Central Asia as a whole, is being attended by FNA Managing Director Hamid Reza Muqaddam-Far.

Speaking in an interview with Asia-Plus, FNA’s regional office head Mr. Mohammed Siddigi-Far said that the Dushanbe office would be the first in a series of correspond offices to be opened by FNA’s regional office in Central Asia, Afghanistan, India and Pakistan.

Siddiqi-Far expressed hope that FNA could become a bridge linking the countries of the region sharing common culture and historical roots.

“Unbiased coverage of developments in the region is the key professional principle of our news agency,” said Siddiqi-Far, “Priorities of activity of FNA in Tajikistan will be issues related to promoting integration of the countries of the region, further expansion of close cooperation in information, scientific, cultural and economic spheres as well as development of new opportunities and prospects for the countries of the region.”

Stressing the importance and firmness of principles of preparation and presentation of information by FNA, Mohammed Siddiqi-Far considers that by strengthening factors such as responsiveness, accuracy and authenticity the agency will be able to consolidate its influence in the region and “counter Western news agencies’ attempts to monopolize information space and misrepresent facts.”  He added that FNA’s office in Tajikistan would enlist the services of Tajik reporters as well.

Iranian privately-owned news agency, Fars News Agency (FNA), was officially launched in Tehran in February 2002.