Participants of 9th Minsk Forum Apply to Ministry of Information

14.11.2006.

Participants of the 9th Minsk Forum have sent an to the Ministry of Information today.

In their letter, signed on 11 November (the last day of the forum) they urged Ministers to renew cooperation of the state monopolists Belposhta and Saiuzdruk with independent editions.

Saiuzdruk cancelled contracts for distribution with regional and republican independent editions and Belposhta refuses to include such editions in its subscription catalogue.

The idea to help independent mass media stand up for their rights for distribution and to realize the citizens’ rights to receive and distribute information was pronounced by Volha Abramava (a deputy) and journalists who participated in the forum.

’34 participants of the Belarusian-German forum signed the document’, informed Volha Abramava in her interview with the BAJ Press Service. ‘I proposed to write the appeal in the morning and it took 3 hours to collect signatures. The chairperson Rainer Lindner reminded the participants that they could sign the document. I think one third of all the participants signed the document.’

Let us remind you that Belposhta and Belsaizdruk cancelled contracts and refused to cooperate with the majority of independent editions.

When readers and editors demand to include an edition in the subscription catalogue Belposhta refers to the law ‘that does not oblige them to include all editions in their catalogue’ and claims that ‘it is up to it to decide what editions can be included in it’.

Saiuzdruk normally claims that it remains at a loss as a result of cooperation with independent editions.

The BAJ Press Service