From the local news:

Turkmenistan slams "misleading" media reports on OSCE chief's visit

Excerpt from report by Turkmen Foreign Ministry press release on 4 March

[Turkmen Foreign Ministry] Press release

OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Dutch Foreign Minister Jaap de Hoop Scheffer visited Turkmenistan on 3 March 2003, in the course of which he was received by Turkmenistan's president, Saparmyrat Nyyazow.

[Passage omitted: known details of the meeting]

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan notes that the visit has received a wide positive reaction from the world media and, at the same time, draws attention to the fact that some European media sources have disseminated pre-fabricated and deliberate misinformation on the visit.

Members of these media, ignoring journalistic etiquette and the principle of objectivity, have moved to the path of misleading a broad audience with fabrications based on conjectures and apparent falsehoods. The main task of such "correspondents" is to meet orders given to them. It is quite apparent that there are certain circles behind such fabrications made while covering the Turkmenistan-OSCE dialogue that are unfriendly towards Turkmenistan and support such pseudo-journalists.

The same forces, which feel uncomfortable against the background of Turkmenistan's growing international prestige and constructive cooperation with international bodies, are disseminating reports known to be false by bribing some dishonest media workers to misinform world audience.

The Turkmen side holds a firm belief that such insinuations openly hostile to Turkmenistan are doomed to failure. Moreover, it is quite apparent that such destructive attempts against Turkmenistan by certain media sources and their sponsors are not in agreement with the prime values and goals of democratic progress.

The press-service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan.

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