Uznews, Tashkent, 01 Jun 2009 – The Uzbek government has announced a competition to award media grants worth a maximum of €3,400 each after failing to agree to an EU-sponsored media project worth over €1m.
Uzbek official media outlets reported that the Oliy Majlis’s (Uzbek parliament) fund for supporting NGOs would hold the tender.
However, they did not specify the whole amount of funds allocated for these grants, but the maximum amount of grants is €3,400.
Journalists should apply by 30 June 2009. Grants will be issued for covering topics such as improving government agencies’ relations with the public, boosting the professional level of journalists, developing analytical journalism and covering the course of democratic reforms.
Issuing grants, even if they are small, is unusual for Uzbekistan but it is of great importance.
The government controls these projects, claiming to replace foreign donors in supporting independent press and creating an impression of supporting this idea.
However, the government does not intend to develop independent media in the country, and this can be proved by its behaviour since the Andijan massacre in 2005 when government troops killed hundreds of protesters.
Moreover, Uzbek President Islam Karimov and his government want to get rid of independent media altogether, jailing increasingly more journalists.
Despite the need to improve relations with the EU after the Andijan massacre, the Uzbek authorities obstructed the EU project worth €1.1m which was designed to train Uzbek journalists for three years.
The EU terminated the project citing the Uzbek government’s obstacles, while Uzbekistan voluntarily refused funds that could have improved Uzbek journalism.
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