Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree abolishing RIA Novosti, one of the largest news agencies in Russia. RIA will be reborn into its second life as a global agency called Rossia Segodnya (Russia Today), The Voice of Russia reported.
Rossia Segodnya will be headed by Dmitry Kiselyov, the Kremlin says. The headquarters of the newly-born agency will stay at the RIA office.
According to the official statement, Rossia Segodnya will also include the state-run Voice of Russia radio station.
President Putin has also given the Cabinet of Ministers a month to plan all events necessary to help the International News Agency "Rossia Segodnya" into existence and add it to the list of state-run strategic entities.
The fledgling agency will focus on informing foreign audiences about Russia's policies and the way of life.
The President's decree today reformed and did away with an entire bulk of state media. It abolished the State Fund of Television and Radio Programs, placing it under control of All-Russia State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company.
The same order has passed over the Russian Book Chamber, a federal scientific center, to the ITAR-TASS news agency.
The decree comes into force starting today, December 9.