President of the Republic of Srpska extends congratulations on May 3 – World Press Freedom Day

On the occasion of May 3 – the World Press Freedom Day, the President of the Republic of Srpska Željka Cvijanović extended congratulations to all journalists, editorial boards, and associations of journalists in the Republic of Srpska.

“Marking the World Press Freedom Day is an opportunity to remind ourselves that freedom of speech, that is, the expression of opinion, is one of the fundamental human rights of every democratic system.

The role of journalists and the media in strengthening a democratic society is extremely important, particularly in emergency circumstances, when it is necessary for the accurate, comprehensive and timely information to be available to the public, as this is the only way they can serve the truth, as the central value of journalism.

I take the opportunity to extend my gratitude to the journalists and other media workers, such as cameramen, photojournalists, technical teams, drivers and others, who, during the Coronavirus pandemic, daily provide the citizens with important and useful information over this extraordinary threat to the health of all of us.

I believe that the media in the Republic of Srpska will continue to show a high level of responsibility in their work in the future, and that by nurturing professional standards, they will be in service of the public interest and democratic processes.

The institutions of the Republic of Srpska are committed to improving the environment for the highest degree of media freedom so that media workers can perform their responsible and challenging work with as few obstacles and difficulties as possible.

Once again, I congratulate you the World Press Freedom Day and wish you good health and successful work, as well as a better professional and personal standard”, reads the congratulation note by the President of the Republic of Srpska.