YEREVAN, MAY 3, ARMENPRESS. Caretaker Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan issued a congratulatory message on World Press Freedom Day. As ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Prime Minister, the congratulatory message runs as follows,

‘’Dear journalists, colleagues,

I congratulate all of us on World Press Freedom Day. The Government of Armenia attaches great importance to the role of free press for the development of the country, strengthening of democracy and ensuring public oversight.

I am sure that press has never been so free in Armenia as in the last three years, which has been recorded also by international organizations in their reports. According to the World Press Freedom Index of Reporters Without Borders, our country progressed by 19 points in 2019 compared to 2018, ranking 61st. We preserved this position in 2020 and recorded a regress of 2 points in 2021, which is mainly conditioned by some cornavirus and war-linked restrictions. Anyway, Armenia remains one of the post-Soviet countries with the freest press.

I am confident, our country will continue the progress in the future. I consider it particularly important for the media to ensure objectiveness in its activities, to provide complete and comprehensive information to the public. The crises linked with the coronavirus pandemic and the war showed the importance and necessity of this issue.  

Press feedom is the crucially important value that we have to preserve and develop. Long live free press, long live free journalist''.