DUSHANBE, April 22, Asia-Plus  -- Tajik journalists ought to be more responsible and unbiased in covering culture issues and other spheres of life of Tajikistan, Culture Minister Mirzoshorukh Asrori remarked at a press conference in Dushanbe on April 21, referring to allegedly wrong data given in some newspapers.  

“Thus, an article published in one of recent editions of the Dushanbe weekly Nigoh noted that… there are 2000 dancers in the country,” said the minister.  “I charged relevant bodies of the ministry to check this information and it turned out that in all, there are only 187 dancers in the country.”  

As a whole he expressed gratitude to media for cooperation in coverage of the country’s cultural life. 

According to him, 141 newspapers, 55 magazines and five news agencies have to date been registered in the country.    

Speaking to reporters, the minister noted that the country’s printing production requires improvement.  “Tajikistan’s publishing houses, including Adib, Irfon, Maorif va Farhang, Matbuot and others, have printed 23 books with a total circulation of a 90,000, which is not enough,” said Asrori, “Moreover, quality of books leaves much to be desired.”    

He further added that they are currently negotiating the issue of supplying the state-of-the-art printing equipment with China, Iran and Russia.