OSCE-ORGANISED SEMINAR ON MEDIA BEGINS IN ZAGREB

( Editorial: --> 5639 ) ZAGREB, May 21 (Hina) - A democratic framework for the realisation of the freedom of the written and uttered word must and can always spread, and this is where the role of authorities is crucial, Croatian European Integration Minister Ljerka Mintas-Hodak told Hina on Thursday. She made the statement following a speech entitled "Media and European Integration" with which she opened a two-day seminar on media organised by the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). The Zagreb seminar is being held behind closed doors. "The role of authorities in opening the media space is crucial. Of course, journalists also contribute through their fight for its opening, but the important decision lies with the government," Mintas-Hodak said. The host of the seminar is the OSCE Mission to Croatia chief Tim Guldimann. Invitations to the seminar were forwarded to representatives of some print and electronic media in Croatia who are to give reports, describing the situation and role of the media in Croatia. In the opening segment of the seminar, OSCE special commissioner for media freedom, Freimut Duve, addressed those present. "It is interesting that the OSCE has established a new function of special commissioner for the surveillance of the freedom of the media in member countries, which, in a way, proves that the OSCE will also get more involved in the protection and promotion of media freedoms in other member countries too," Mintas-Hodak said. According to her, these problems in Croatia are "more or less familiar and are concentrated in several questions, the top one being further democratisation of electronic media". Mintas-Hodak described the announced seminar subjects as interesting and expressed hope that participants in the seminar would discuss the responsibility of journalists for their written or uttered words, because the issue should be "parallel with the process of media democratisation". (hina) lm jn /mb 211743 MET may 98