Azerbaijani media appeal over Eurovision-2012 contest

Leading media of Azerbaijan addressed the media structures of countries that will participate in the Eurovision 2012 in Baku.

This appeal, initiated by the Press Council of Azerbaijan, was made on Thursday at the ongoing "round table" with regard to the negative information about the preparation of Azerbaijan for the European Song Contest in foreign media.

Chairman of the Joint Venture Aflatun Amashov presented the text of the address to the leaders of the media and noted that government support for the press to improve its economic situation increased in Azerbaijan.

"If the press is economically dependent, it can not objectively inform the public about events taking place in society," he said.

"Unfortunately, there isn't an objective reflection of the Azerbaijani realities in some materials about Azerbaijan, distributed by some foreign media. Adverse events in the country at different times, associated with the Eurovision," Amashov added.

Development of media during Azerbaijan's independence is noted in the appeal. International media organizations have concluded that freedom of the press in Azerbaijan is at a high level. Azerbaijan is the first in the post-Soviet area to establish the Press Council. Legislation dealing with the media, is formed in accordance with European standards.

The appeal of Azerbaijani journalists also noted that certain circles are trying to politicize such cultural event as the Eurovision in their dirty political purposes.

"It's lack of respect to the millions of Europeans. Work on the improvement, which started in Baku, long before the Eurovision and will continue after the competition, can not be regarded as a violation of human rights," the statement says.

Azerbaijani journalists are in favor of objectivity in bringing realities of Azerbaijan to the world, calling on their colleagues from other countries not to take a unilateral position in the publishing of materials about the country.

The authors of the appeal also call the world's leading media to pay attention to the fact of occupation of 20 percent of Azerbaijani territory, the presence of more than one million refugees and internally displaced persons and to support the restoration of their rights.

Representatives of the Azerbaijani media invited their colleagues to the Eurovision-2012 and are confident that their knowledge about the country will expand and change for the better after meeting with Azerbaijan. Appeal will be sent to the European Broadcasting Union and all member countries of Eurovision.

MP Bakhtiyar Sadigov, who participated in the event informed about Azerbaijan's achievements during 20 years of independence, among which is the victory at the Eurovision song contest.

"If we had won the competition of Eastern music and mugham, it would have been commonplace. But the victory of Azerbaijan in the European Song Contest is very important," he said.

Sadigov noted that publications in the foreign press for some reason left out of account the rights of one million Azerbaijani refugees and internally displaced persons, whose rights were violated as a result of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

The appeal was signed by the leading media of the country.


/Trend/