MOSCOW – The Public Relations and Communications Association has launched PRCA Russia to raise industry standards in Russia.

PRCA Russia is the first PRCA organisation to be founded in Europe, outside of the UK. It is also the first professional body in Russia to represent all areas of public relations and communication, including corporations, consultancies and professionals, as it brings together a number of existing organisations, including PR agency body AKOS, under one banner.

The main areas of focus for the new organisation will be: consolidating the industry in Russia, raising standards in PR and communications, setting codes of conduct, facilitating the sharing of best practices and innovations, raising the profile of Russian PR and communications internationally, creating networking opportunities, working for the greater benefit of the industry, and promoting on the industry’s behalf.

PRCA Russia will be led by director general Elena Fadeeva, general director of FleishmanHillard Vanguard Russia/CIS general, group president of Orta Communications and chair of AKOS, who said the new organisation was “a real milestone” for PR in Russia.

She added: “We are here to unite corporations, consultancies and professionals to work hand in hand building the industry of the future. We believe PRCA’s global reach will help us raise the profile of the best of PR and communications from Russia internationally, featuring truly outstanding work that our industry can do – creative, innovative, ethical, and effective.”

The new organisation is chaired by PRCA director general and ICCO chief executive Francis Ingham, who said: “This is a great day for our industry – the dawn of a new era of Anglo-Russian PR cooperation. Practitioners in Russia, the UK, and indeed all around the world share common challenges and common opportunities."

PRCA Russia is the latest in a series of new PRCA organisations outside the UK: it opened PRCA Southeast Asia in Singapore in September last year, and in 2016 it launched PRCA MENA, which recently announced its inaugural board under the chairmanship of Edelman’s Middle East CEO Omar Qirem.