OSCE media watchdog's office ends training seminar to improve reporting of governmental information in Azerbaijan

BAKU, 20 July 2006 - An OSCE-organized seminar aiming to improve public access to government information by strengthening relations between authorities and the media concluded today in Baku.

"Effective communication and professional interaction between governments and journalists are essential in a modern democratic society," said Alexander Boldyrev, Senior Adviser to the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, at the opening of the event.

Journalists from the main Azerbaijani media outlets in Baku and in the regions as well as spokespersons and representatives of the press services from key governmental bodies, including the Presidential Office and the Cabinet, took part in the three-day seminar.

Discussions focussed on the implementation of a new Azerbaijani law on access to information.

The event, organized by the Office of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, was part of an extensive training programme that covers several OSCE participating States. The course was a follow-up of a successful training seminar in Baku last year.