YEREVAN, 3 MAY, ARMENPRESS/BTA. Bulgaria climbs 12 notches to 59th place in Reporters Without Borders' (RSF) annual media freedom rankings for 2024, published on the occasion of May 3 - World Press Freedom Day, the Association of European Journalists (AEJ) said on Friday.

The country significantly improved its position in the global rating, which includes 180 countries. It remains, however, at the bottom of the European Union, where it has climbed only one place to 23rd, followed only by Hungary, Cyprus, Malta and Greece, the AEJ said.

The international organisation explains the improvement of the media environment in Bulgaria mainly with the fact that in 2023 Bulgaria's government was led by Nikolay Denkov of Continue the Change, who, according to the organisation's assessment, demonstrated a willingness to implement reforms in the area of press freedom. RSF also pointed out that Bulgarian institutions have reacted quickly to police violence against journalists.

The organization for the protection of journalists criticizes the government for failing to introduce systematic measures to solve Bulgaria's "endemic problems", including the growing number of SLAPP cases. Despite the progress, RSF notes that Bulgaria's indicators in the areas of politics, economy and security remain relatively low.

(This information is being published according to an agreement between Armenpress and BTA.)