European Union project together with state partners review the results of press conferences’ monitoring

Within the project funded by the European Union in Tajikistan, Tajikistan’s Ministry of Culture in cooperation with the Executive Office of the President of Tajikistan held a roundtable at the National Library of Tajikistan discussing ways to improve the work and collaboration between government communicators and media representative. The event focused on presenting the results of monitoring government press conferences during the first half of 2025 and discussing ways to improve access to information and support open dialogue between the media and government bodies. 

European Union’s Project “Empowering media and civil society to uphold fundamental freedoms and democracy in Tajikistan through improved digital capacity, access to information, and dialogue” is implemented by ACTED (NGO, France) in partnership with Public Organization “Khoma”. 

Opening the event, Mr. Faridun Bobozoda, Deputy Head of the Department of Education, Culture and Information of the Executive Office of the President of Tajikistan, underlined the Government’s continued commitment to building an information environment that is transparent and consistent with international standards. The constitutional and legal framework underpinning this process includes the Constitution of the Republic of Tajikistan and key sectoral legislation, such as the Law “On the Press and Other Mass Media,” the Law “On Information,” and the Law “On Access to Information.” Together, these legal provisions guarantee citizens the right to free access to information. 

Deputy Minister of Culture, Mr. Davlat Safar, highlighted the role of media as a social institution and the steady growth of information outlets across the country. 

Dr. Jasna Lambert, Political Adviser at the Delegation of the European Union to Tajikistan, emphasized that high-quality interaction and cooperation between press secretaries and journalists are crucial for development of any society. When citizens receive accurate and timely information, institutions earn credibility and trust. This not only builds societies and states that are resilient to disinformation but also contributes to their security and prosperity.

EU, ACTED, 2025

Nasima Nazrieva, Regional Projects Coordinator at Acted, pointed out that one of the key objectives of the EU's “Empowering media and civil society to uphold fundamental freedoms and democracy in Tajikistan through improved digital capacity, access to information, and dialogue”  project is to strengthen the capacity of media, civil society, journalists, and press service specialists in digital skills, new technologies, monitoring, and countering disinformation. She also invited press service specialists to participate in the project’s Media Hackathons, Forums, and Laboratories to put these skills into practice.

Mr. Rasul Majidzoda, Deputy Head of NIAT “Khovar”, noted that press conferences are an important tool for engagement with the public and are held every six months in accordance with current legislation and approved plans.

The round table was attended by over 50 participants, including heads of press centres, representatives of government bodies, civil society, and journalists, providing a platform for discussion and recommendations to further enhance the quality of government press conferences.