President Stevandic talked with representatives of the Platform for rapid response to media freedoms

The President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Srpska, Dr. Nenad Stevandić, met today in Banja Luka with representatives of the Platform for Rapid Response to Media Freedoms (MFRR), with whom he discussed media freedoms in the Republic of Srpska as well as the role of public institutions in creating a safe environment for media and civil society work. The president of the SNSD Club, Igor Žunić, also attended the meeting.

President Stevandić introduced the representatives of the Platform to the activities undertaken by the National Assembly of the Republic of Srpska to ensure media freedom, and on that occasion emphasized that the work and protection of journalists is of great importance for a free and democratic society such as the Republic of Srpska.

He emphasized that the authorities of the Republic of Srpska have never restricted access to information, both for journalists and its citizens, and called on the representatives of the Platform for further cooperation in order to further improve the working conditions of journalists in the Republic of Srpska.

He added that the National Assembly of the Republic of Srpska remains committed to the protection of media freedom and will continue to work on improving and amending the law if the need arises.

The representatives of the Platform expressed their gratitude to President Stevandić for his openness and readiness for dialogue and for his desire to improve the media space and protect journalists. Both sides agreed that media freedom is the key to the development of a democratic society, and that they will continue their joint cooperation. At the meeting, a joint conclusion was reached that the law criminalizing defamation should be monitored for a period of one year, and that a joint analysis should be done after that.