Representatives of media self-regulatory bodies from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, the Russian Federation and Ukraine agreed to create an informal network of press councils. The network will serve as a platform for regional cooperation and exchange of information and experience. It will aim at raising the profile and  the effectiveness of the media self-regulatory mechanisms in each country. The network will cooperate, among others, with the Alliance of Independent Press Councils of Europe and the worldwide Organisation of News Ombudsmen.

The agreement was reached on 9-10 June 2011 in Chisinau at a Regional meeting on media self-regulation organised by the Council of Europe in co-operation with the Press Council of Moldova. The participants established a working group to draft a statute and a short-term work plan of the network. Mr Petru Macovei, Secretary of the Press Council of Moldova, was elected as coordinator of the group. The meeting is co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe.