CE studying opportunities for government - media dialogue in Azerbaijan

"..There exist pro-governmental and opposition press. Nevertheless, there is also an independent press in the country," Ali Hassanov, the head of the Public and Political Department of the President's Administration, told a roundtable dedicated to a dialogue between the government and press in Azerbaijan and held at the International Press Club in Baku on Wednesday.

Organized by the Council of Europe the event brought together the CE experts, representatives from the press, members of the Broadcasting Council, independent lawyers. Hassanov attributed the relationships between the government and press in Azerbaijan as smooth. During the early period of independence governed by the Popular Front of Azerbaijan -Musavat since 1992 there was conflict between the authorities and government.

However, the relationships have started to get improved from 1998. In August 1998 President Heydar Aliyev canceled a censorship in press. The Law on Press adopted in Azerbaijan in 2001 was most advanced not only in CIS, but also in many European. Azerbaijan is only country where it is OK only to submit an application  to the executive body - Justice Ministry - for the setting up any publication.

"In 2001 Heydar Aliyev adopted a State Program on state care of press. The press bodies were released of taxes, while debts of the local media to the Publishing House was suspended for 5 years. In 2002 the Council of Entrepreneurs distributed privileged credits worth 5bn manats. It all actually testifies for Azerbaijani authorities' care of independent press in Azerbaijan,"  Hassanov said.

Other speakers to the ceremony, CE experts Le Hibard Caroline, Caroline Marrison (UK) and Sandra Beysik - Khirvatin (Slovenia) put forward their proposals on the establishment of a dialogue between the sate bodies and press. (Trend Agency)

The 3-day meeting will end in the development of an action plan on the establishment of the said dialogue. On Thursday they will hold discussions on public and private television in  Azerbaijan with participation of MPs, heads of Baku offices of the CE and OSCE, diplomatic  corps accredited in Azerbaijan, as well as representatives from the political parties and media.