“TRANSPARENCY OF PUBLIC INFORMATION - COMMON PRACTICES” SEMINAR UNDERWAY
The key goal of seminar attended by heads of press services of ministries, companies, public relations departments and media representatives, is to improve the ability of press services and public relations departments to deliver official information to the public, and help in increasing transparency of public information.
Opening the event, Ali Hasanov, head of the socio-political department of the President Administration, said the work started in associate with the Council of Europe three years ago, to improve public information transparency in state management, as well as the work of relevant press services and public relations departments of central executive bodies.
‘It is one of such actions conducted on this purpose. Hitherto, 15 such seminars and a large meeting with participation of the head of the President Administration have been conducted’, Mr. Hasanov noted.
As stated, today’s action was a final one in this direction. As a result of joint work with the Council of Europe, relevant perfect laws on media have been adopted in the country. Also was noted the work done by Government to improve activity of the press services of departments in whole.
Transparency of public information is not only full awareness on activity of the Government, but also is one of the fundamental principles of democratic state, Ali Hasanov said. The public has the right to have access to information on daily activity of the state bodies. Work of the state organs should be transparent, open, and the public constantly informed, Ali Hasanov emphasized.
Speaking on the works done to ensure political pluralism and press freedom, head of the Presidential Department said that the censorship on press had been eliminated in 1998. And currently, no official permission or license is needed to engage in information activity, he underlined. ‘Azerbaijan is an only country in the former Soviet space where mass media is tax free, except advertising’, Mr. Hasanov stressed. ‘And also delivery of print paper and relevant equipment is free of customs duty’.
Ali Hasanov estimated these as token of the great care and attention rendered by state and the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev to ensure freedom of speech and democracy in the country.
The Council of Europe media section representative Ms. Francesca Klopser spoke of importance of the seminar, underlining that the government of Azerbaijan has adopted significant laws connected to mass media.
At the seminar, also delivered were lecture on different aspects of the public information.
The seminar will continue on 29 June.
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