TASHKENT (Press release) – The second round in a series of training sessions for officials in the information services of state agencies and public organizations started in Tashkent today. Some 60 representatives from the information services of ministries and state agencies along with major civil society institutions will take part.

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The OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan, Istvan Venczel, said at the opening: “The right to access official information gives practical meaning to the principles of participatory democracy. It is also beneficial for the governments, as openness and transparency in the decision-making process can assist in developing citizen trust in government actions.”

The training is organized by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan with the Public Fund for the Support and Development of Independent Print Media, the Information Agencies of Uzbekistan and the International In-service Training of Journalists.

The training sessions aim to improve the interaction between the information services and journalists, as well as increase government transparency with the public in general.

Three French media experts will share their experience with the participants. They will discuss the tools of an effective press service, including the organization of press conferences and debates, techniques for giving interviews and issuing statements, the general communication environment and the use of the Internet for reaching out to media and the public.