OREANDA-NEWS. February 15, 2010. The issues of legal regulation of media activities in the CIS member states and Europe were put on the agenda of the roundtable which was held in the capital. The forum was organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan and the Turkmen National Institute for Democracy and Human Rights under President of Turkmenistan (TNIDHR) in collaboration with the British Embassy in Turkmenistan. The meeting organized in the framework of the Programme on Legal Cooperation between Turkmenistan and the UK brought together the representatives of the Mejlis, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Culture and Broadcasting, TNIDHR, the Institute of State and Law under President of Turkmenistan, the Institute of International Affairs and Magtumguly Turkmen State University and journalists.

The participants noted that improvement of mass media, which played an important role in the world and aimed its activities to meet the tasks of social, political and democratic development and modern requirements set by President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, was a major priority of the policy of the Turkmen state. It was noted that the essential aspects of modernization of mass media in the country was the study of the best international practice and implementation of universally recognized international norms and standards in the national media legislation.

The international experts from Great Britain, Russia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Lithuania and Bulgaria made the presentations on the major principles of media activities and the legislation regulating media activities in the CIS member states and Europe. The presentation of the BBC Foundation aroused particular interest among the roundtable participants.

The agenda of the forum, which was held in the conference hall of the Turkmen National Institute for Democracy and Human Rights under President of Turkmenistan, focused on the issues of legal regulation of broadcasting, print media as well as advanced training of media workers and journalists. Also, the forum participants learnt about the principles of electronic publishing including internet publishing.