Daiyrbek Orunbekov, head of the Information Policy Service of the Presidential Administration of Kyrgyzstan, met with the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Teresa Ribeiro. Press service of the head of the Kyrgyz Republic reported.
The parties exchanged views on the latest changes taking place in the media sphere in Kyrgyzstan. In particular, the OSCE representative said that they were currently studying the draft law of the Kyrgyz Republic «On the Mass Media» and proposals would be submitted based on the results of the work.
Daiyrbek Orunbekov noted that amending the Mass Media Law was «a requirement of time, the principles of information dissemination and media resources have changed, amendments to the law take into account national interests.»
«The bill was amended five times, a working group was formed, where media representatives made up the majority. Their suggestions were also taken into account. This shows a high degree of freedom of speech in the country and the important role of media representatives,» Daiyrbek Orunbekov said.
The parties expressed confidence that the new draft law would eventually become a convenient document for all participants in the media sphere.
Recall, the fifth version of the draft law «On Mass Media» was prepared without taking into account the comments and suggestions of the media community, lawyers and journalists.
Initially, experts from Media Policy Institute and Adilet Legal Clinic, after analyzing the draft law, emphasized that it significantly restricts the rights to freedom of speech, information and the media. An active discussion of the document led to the formation of a working group to finalize the draft law. It was created by order of the head of state on December 7, 2022. Its term of work ended on May 15, 2023.
