Press executives from across Central Asian came together in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on Monday for a World Association of Newspapers' conference aimed to provide practical solutions to the many problems facing independent media in the region. Fifty publishers and journalists from Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia were joined by speakers from Serbia, France, Denmark, Canada, Finland and the United States in an effort to find ways to combat the obstacles that are hindering independent media development in the region -- restrictive press laws, poor infrastructure and the absence of professional organisations among them. Participants in the event, called "Media in Danger/Media in Transition", said there was a greater need for solidarity in the region and common actions to aid media and journalists in danger. They also emphasized the need for international support to pressure their governments, citing the success of international pressure in preventing the approval of a new media law in Kazakhstan in March. In addition to combating the well-known problems, several speakers warned against an over-reliance on donations, which might be hindering the commercial success of newspapers in the region.

Source: World Association of Newspapers (see press releases section) or contact Larry Kilman, WAN director of communications