Ministry of Regional Development and Construction (MRDC) and the Independent Press Association (IPA) have agreed into a partnership to promote regional development in the local press.

    In accordance with the collaborated agreement from October 2013-February 2014, the IPA will undertake several activities to help journalists/media institutions and active bloggers document the topics of regional development, by consolidating knowledge and analyzing capability through communication and interaction with experts in the field and the regional development agencies.

Thus, in the future, API will hold several debates in the form of "club news" articles on regional development for national level priorities. The journalists and bloggers will visit and report on projects where it is implementing regional development projects. They will publish articles about the development and modernization of infrastructure, balance reports with the development of small towns and efficient use of natural resources to improve the quality of life, etc.

At the same time, the IPA will consult and train specialists in communication for the three Regional Development Agencies (North, Centre and South) in the selective monitoring and analysis of journalistic materials in regional development, and will develop a set of recommendations for policy makers in the field in order to improve communication with the media.

Activities will take place within the project "Integrated Efforts to Promote Regional Development Media" funded by the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) and selected as a result of an open competition for grants to non-governmental organizations and media networks.