Creating the conditions for the effective development of the free press in Ukraine is the main task of the government in the media sphere, President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych said at the opening of the 64th World Newspaper Congress and the 19th World Editors Forum, the President’s press service informs.
"The main objective of the government in the media sphere is to create conditions in which the free press can effectively develop, be independent of any control," he said.
"Despite some differences of opinion, and this is quite natural, all the political forces in Ukraine agree that freedom of speech is an integral part of democratic development of the state," Yanukovych said.
The head of state said that, despite the difficult Soviet heritage, the young age of our state, experienced political and economic crisis, Ukraine has managed to make significant progress in the development of freedom of speech.
During the years of independence, Yanukovych said, Ukraine has overcome the way from total censorship to the open society. One of the obstacles to the effective development of the Ukrainian media space, according to him, is erroneous stereotypes about lack of freedom of speech in our country.
"In my opinion, this is related primarily to the lack of objective information. I hope that the Congress will be a good opportunity for you to see with your own eyes the real situation in our country," he said, referring to the meeting participants.
