Turkmen Leader Criticizes Local Media

Text of report by corporate-owned Russian news agency Interfax

Asgabat, 12 January: Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow has criticized [Turkmenistan's] national media.

“The national media still lack creative initiative in their activities whereas it is them which were given a vital role in the process of forming public awareness, and the spiritual and aesthetic education of Turkmenistan’s people and the elucidation of state policy’s priorities,” Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow said at an extended government meeting last Friday [11 January], which was broadcast on Turkmen TV.

The Turkmen president noted that the activities of the national media required “the most serious and comprehensive improvement”, and said that he intended to meet the staff of print and electronic media in order to find ways of solving outstanding problems together.

Originally published by Interfax news agency, Moscow, in Russian 0754 12 Jan 08.

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