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Media

CIS journalists attend Eastern Partnership seminar in Prague

06 May 2009 14:42 (UTC +04:00)

Prague. Lachin Sultanova â€“ APA. Three-day seminar for the journalists from seven CIS countries dedicated to the Eastern Partnership Program began in Prague on Wednesday. The journalists from Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova and Russia are attending the seminar organized by EU Journalism Network organization. APA correspondent also joined them. The seminar aims to improve coverage of EU issues, journalism standards and to establish the journalism network. The experts said the goal of the Eastern Partnership Program to be adopted on May 7 in Prague was not the EU enlargement, but making the democracy, economic, legal and other spheres in those countries according to the European standards. It was noted that the Eastern Partnership Program supports not the governments, but the societies.

The experts said 600 million euro allocated for this goal next year is a drop in the ocean. The participants of the seminar spoke about the importance of civil societies and said some countries didnâ€™t fund them and banned foreign assistance to them. One of the conditions of the Eastern partnership is the releasing of journalists from the arrest.

The seminar participants focused on the conflicts in the territory of Eastern Partnership countries, noting that alongside with South Ossetian, Abkahzian, Nagorny Karabakh and Transdniestrian conflicts, the Adjarian problem can also be awaken. The conflict stirring up in Crimea was also focused at the seminar.

Then the experts answered the questions of the journalists.