Other Diplomats And I Began Our Day With "Charter"

No civilization can survive without independent mass media.

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Serbia in Belarus (2004-2011) Srechko Dzhukich sent his article to the editorial office of Charter97.org.

In all countries I worked in as an ambassador my primarily objective was to read mass media - official and opposition ones - to conduct the analysis and make conclusions. It allowed to get a deeper knowledge of the station, its successes, problems, and challenges. Of course, I also met journalists working in policy, economics, culture.

Thus, I worked as an Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Serbia in Belarus. I read and observed all kinds of Belarusian media.

Unfortunately, there are still few free and opposition media in Belarus. They can be counted on fingers!

Website Charter97.org is the jewel of the Belarusian free, analytical, critical, and opposition word. My colleagues and I began our working day with "Charter-97". And not only foreign representative but also the Belarusian authorities did the same.

I still do not understand why free and opposition media, including Charter97.org, are banned. Moreover, "Charter" is exiled!

Opposition and official media can be compared as reality and fabrication.

Please, pay attention at mass media and freedom of speech in economically, politically developed countries and make conclusions about the existing mutual and dialectical ties between progress and freedom.

Independent media need assistance in all countries, including Belarus and even Serbia. Why? Dear friends, we live in the 21 century, not in the 19th. It determines the level of our development.

I'm afraid that the situation in our counties is now more similar than it was 6-7 years ago. Freedom of mass media, democracy, free elections are not eternal. Now the Serbians face old problems. We thought those values would stay. But it's not true! Fight for freedom, including freedom of mass media are urgent. We need a full-fledged democracy, and then our national and domestic issues will be solved. There are many successful state in the world.

I'd like to add that during my work of many years in Belarus I had an honor to meet lots of Belarusian journalists and luckily I managed to make friends with the major of them. I invited many journalists to my residence and to all events held in the embassy. It helped me to learn more and to fall in love with this beautiful country, with its peaceful and hard-working people (though, I guess, to obedient).

Here I'd like to name two Belarusian journalists. Though I remember all of them; I remember conversations we held, our sincere and wise relations which promoted increased mutual respect between our people.

Natallia Radzina, head of "Charter-97", is an extremely talented journalist. I remember it was the best interview I had over seven years of my ambassador’s stay in Belarus - the headline was "Belarus - The Country Which Unfolds".

I'd like to mention Iryna Khalip, really great professional. Iryna, being a journalist, suffered much together with her husband Andrei Sannikov and their son Daniel. I remember promenades along the Svisloch...

On the eve of the 20th anniversary of "Charter-97" I'd like to stress its role in restless fight for freedom of speech and other things. I am convinced that "Charter-97" will make it to chronicles as the lighthouse of our time.

My congratulations with this anniversary! I wish you further creative success in your hard work. You follow a worthy path, and I'd like you to come back home soon.

It will be recalled that on September 3 editor-in-chief of Charter-97 Natallia Radzina announced the threat to informational resource cause by drastic reduction in financing and called readers for solidarity. Ways to support the website:

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