KOCHARIAN RECEIVES OSCE MEDIA REPRESENTATIVE

Armenpress
Jun 19 2006

YEREVAN, JUNE 19, ARMENPRESS: The OSCE Representative on Freedom of
the Media, Miklos Haraszti, who will be visiting Armenia from 19 to
21 June to collect first-hand information on the media in the country,
was received today by president Robert Kocharian.

The visit, which comes at the invitation of the Armenian Foreign
Ministry, will help assist the country in further promoting free
and pluralistic media in pursuance of its OSCE commitments, the OSCE
Yerevan office said.

President Kocharian was quoted by his press office as saying that
the diverse cooperation between Armenia and the OSCE was very
effective. Kocharian also underscored the freedom of media saying
free media has a key role in implementing civic control over the
government’s performance and presenting the country’s real state of
things. Kocharian also said the freedom of press must be regulated
in such a way as to clearly defend individuals’ rights.

Kocharian’s press office said the two men then had an exchange of
views on a variety of issues. Kocharian was also quoted as saying that
Armenia was still in transition and that in some instances features
of that period were still there.