On June 19 Tigran Torosyan, RA NA Speaker met Vladimir Pryakhin, the OSCE Yerevan Office Head and Ambassador and Miklos Haraszti, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media.

During the meeting issues concerning the laws and draft laws on mass media were discussed. Tigran Torosyan, RA NA Speaker noted that the three laws on freedom of information, television and radio mainly regulate the activity of the mass media. According to the evaluation of CE and OSCE, these laws are in conformity with the international criteria. The forthcoming legislative work in this sphere will include the reflection of the constitutional amendments in the Armenian laws. Mr. Torosyan noted also that though any law can be improved endlessly, the realities of life are not connected with the defects of the laws. First of all, we have to specify what the mission of the media is. The prevailing majority of the media see their role as a reflection of the role of the parties, which are at power and in opposition, while the mass media have to present the events in an unbiased manner. The media has to be free and impartial. The solution of this problem is directly connected with the multiparty regime and the consolidation of the civil society. Besides, the RA NA Speaker attached importance to the professionalism of the reporters and to the presence of knowledge in the sphere that is being covered. Noting that in the former Soviet territory the Armenian law on freedom of information is the best and expressing agreement with the presented approaches, Mr. Haraszti attached importance to the transparency and multitude of opinions, to the creation of equal conditions for the work of the media.

During the meeting other issues were also discussed.