LEGISLATIVE ISSUES CONCERNING MEDIA DISCUSSED

National Assembly of RA, Armenia
June 20 2006

On June 19 Tigran Torosyan, RA NA Speaker met Vladimir Pryakhin,
the OSCE Yerevan Office Head and Ambassador and Miklos Haraszti,
the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media.

During the meeting issues concerning the laws and draft laws on mass
media were discussed. Tigran Torosyan, RA NA Speaker noted that the
three laws on freedom of information, television and radio mainly
regulate the activity of the mass media. According to the evaluation
of CE and OSCE, these laws are in conformity with the international
criteria. The forthcoming legislative work in this sphere will include
the reflection of the constitutional amendments in the Armenian
laws. Mr. Torosyan noted also that though any law can be improved
endlessly, the realities of life are not connected with the defects
of the laws. First of all, we have to specify what the mission of
the media is. The prevailing majority of the media see their role
as a reflection of the role of the parties, which are at power and
in opposition, while the mass media have to present the events in an
unbiased manner. The media has to be free and impartial.

The solution of this problem is directly connected with the multiparty
regime and the consolidation of the civil society.

Besides, the RA NA Speaker attached importance to the professionalism
of the reporters and to the presence of knowledge in the sphere that is
being covered. Noting that in the former Soviet territory the Armenian
law on freedom of information is the best and expressing agreement
with the presented approaches, Mr. Haraszti attached importance to
the transparency and multitude of opinions, to the creation of equal
conditions for the work of the media.

During the meeting other issues were also discussed.