TASS (, "Soobshchyeniye TASS"). TASS included affiliated news agencies in all 14 Soviet republics in addition to Russia: RATAU (Ukrainian SSR, now Ukrinform), BelTA (Byelorussian SSR), ETA (Estonian SSR), Latinform (Latvian SSR, now LETA), ELTA (Lithuanian SSR), ATEM (Moldavian SSR, now Moldpres), Armenpress (Armenian SSR), Gruzinform (Georgian SSR), Azerinform (Azerbaijan SSR, now AZERTAC), UzTAG (Uzbek SSR, now UzA), KazTAG (Kazakh SSR, now Kazinform), KyrTAG (Kyrgyz SSR, now Kabar), Turkmeninform (Turkmen SSR, now TDH) and TajikTA (Tajik SSR, now Khovar). Over the history other affiliates existed, e.g. KarelfinTAG for the Karelo-Finnish SSR. TASS news and photos were received by 4,000 Soviet newspapers,
Vietnam News Agency and the ASEAN News Exchange (ANEX). In June 2014, the VNA started collaboration with the Italian news agency Agenzia Giornalistica Italia. The VNA is also tasked with publishing currently eight printed materials in eight state-recognised ethnic languages in Vietnam. Performing its function as the state news agency, the VNA supplies the latest official domestic and international news to major partners while satisfying the demand for information through various means, including the leading print and e-newspapers, online news and the television channel VNews. The VNA retains its position as the mainstream information source which guides public opinion, and the strategic and