Federal Information and News Dispatch, Inc.
State Department
November 4, 2004

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Newscast Off the Air in Armenia; U.S.
diplomat Paul Jones expresses concern to OSCE Permanent Council

TEXT: The United States expressed concern November 4 that a Radio Free
Europe/ Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) newscast has been taken off the air in
Armenia.

Addressing the Permanent Council of the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in Vienna, Austria, U.S. diplomat Paul
Jones expressed the hope that the program will find a new broadcast
opportunity in the immediate future.

“This would demonstrate that Armenia is a state where freedom of the
media is acknowledged and respected, consistent with the OSCE
commitments we have all undertaken,” said Jones.

Following are his remarks:

(begin text)

United States Mission to the OSCE

Vienna, Austria

November 4, 2004

STATEMENT ON MEDIA ISSUES IN ARMENIA

As Delivered by ChargA(C) D’affaires Paul W. Jones to the Permanent
Council

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. Chairman, we note with concern that the broadcast of the Radio Free
Europe/Radio Liberty newscast has been taken off the air in Armenia.

We have seen suggestions that the decision to cancel this program was
made in response to political pressure on the station manager.

In this regard, we would hope that this program will find a broadcast
opportunity in the immediate future; this would demonstrate that
Armenia is a state where freedom of the media is acknowledged and
respected, consistent with the OSCE commitments we have all undertaken.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

(end text)

(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State.)

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress