As a Council of Europe member, Azerbaijan wants to reach international standards in media. "It is natural that there are barriers to the development of the media in such countries as Azerbaijan. But Azerbaijan is doing its utmost to reach international standards and norms," Vugar Aliyev, Presidential Administration Socio-Political Department's Work Sector with Press and Information head, said.
He stressed the development of media in Azerbaijan, where the abolition of censorship and government support play a special role.
"Freedom of speech in Azerbaijan is regulated by the Media Council. In 2009, the president approved the State Support for Media Development Fund," he said.
The role of media in a democratic society is discussed at an international conference with the participation of local and international experts in Baku. The conference is organized by the Center for Strategic Studies under the President of the Azerbaijan Republic.
Jean-Paul Moerman, Belgian Constitutional Court judge and the conference's chairman, underscored the importance of freedom of speech in a democratic society.
Aflatun Amashov highlighted the liberal Azerbaijani legislation in terms of media.
Amashov expressed his hope that one can expect the Azerbaijani Parliament to approve the defamation law by late 2010. It will annul the articles of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan, which often serve as the basis for filing cases against media representatives.
The adoption of this law will allow Azerbaijan to fulfill certain obligations and ensure freedom of speech.
Azerbaijani political scientist Rustam Mammadov spoke at the conference and condemned the anti-Azerbaijani propaganda waged by the media of Armenia and Iran. He suggested that participants of this conference establish a convention prohibiting such propaganda.
"I do not believe that the media in Canada can write something like that against the United States," he said.
Democracy must provide people with a variety of political parties, media and other associations, as well as the diversity of opinions and views, Mark Vieth, first vice president of the U.S. Cavarocchi Ruscio Dennis association, said.
The director of Belgium's French channel, Roger Gerard, and Spanish Senator Manuel Altava Laval spoke about freedom of speech and a model of media development in Belgium and Spain. /Trend/