DUSHANBE, March 1, Asia-Plus -- A new brochure, published this week with the support of the OSCE Center in Dushanbe, promotes press freedom and the development of a modern media policy in Tajikistan.

Aleksandr Sodiqov, Media Assistant, the OSCE Center in Dushanbe, noted that the brochure will be distributed in coming weeks and is available at the OSCE Center and at Russian-Tajik Slavic University (RTSU) in Dushanbe.

It includes more than 25 contributions and presentations in Tajik and Russian delivered by scientists and media experts during an OSCE-supported press freedom conference held in at RTSU in December 2006. 

“Freedom of speech and of the media are among the most basic human rights recognized by the laws and international commitments of most nations, including Tajikistan,” said Michael Unland, Media Officer in the OSCE Center.  “In order to fully benefit from the media’s strengths and advantages, modern policies need to be developed and implemented.”

According to Dr Abdusattor Nuraliyev, the head of journalism department at RTSU, this brochure, the first of its kind, will serve as a base for discussion on media policy shaping in Tajikistan.  “It will also be used as a manual by students of journalism,” Nuraliyev said.