Fifth Eurasia Media Forum Opens In Kazakhstan

April 20, 2006 - More than 300 journalists, politicians, and experts today attended the fifth Eurasia Media Forum in the Kazakh commercial capital of Almaty.

Organizers say the role of mass media in regional geopolitics is among the issues topping the agenda.

The chairwoman of the organization committee of the forum, Dariga Nazarbaeva, who also a daughter of Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev, addressed the forum participants.

"The infrastructure of the mass media, and television in particular, is steadily expanding," she said. "There are transnational news channels emerging, and there is a legitimate question to be asked: Are we dealing with a constantly growing demand for such a product or has this proven to be an efficient tool of propaganda?"

Today was the opening day of the event, which was first held in 2001.