Baku, Azerbaijan, March 10
By Elchin Mehdiyev – Trend:
During 15 years since its creation, the Press Council has served to regulate relations between the government, media and society, Chairman of the Azerbaijan Press Council Aflatun Amashov told the 7th Congress of Azerbaijani Journalists in Baku on March 10.
Amashov said many steps have been taken to ensure the media's material and technical base, as well as the provision of journalists with housing.
"The years after the 6th Congress of the Press Council have been successful in terms of state support to the media and we would like to thank President Ilham Aliyev for this," he said, further noting the need to increase the state support for the media.
Amashov noted that since the 6th Congress of the Press Council, it received 3,145 complaints, 2,213 of which were considered and resolved, while 932 were sent to various commissions of the Council.
He stressed that steps were taken to resolve the existing problems, the media is provided with material support at a high level.
“However, modern media should earn more from advertising and sales,” he said. “For us, exemption of newsprint imports from VAT is very important. In the future, print media should play a reliable archival role. In this respect, it is necessary to create ample opportunities for the sale of print media, and, along with newspaper kiosks, these opportunities should be created in the subway as well.”
He added that the Azerbaijani president should send an appeal that the arrested journalists would be released from serving the remaining term of the punishment.
“This would be a humane step,” Amashov said.