Conclusion

The conference was viewed by many senior Western and Asian journalists present in Almaty as a landmark event.

«I can never remember such a diverse gathering of news people. It has been remarkable,» said Jim Laurie of Star TV, Hong Kong, an American with experience in Asia who was one of the moderators.

The plenary sessions produced no finite answers and most questions remained unresolved. But a start had been made.

«Today, at this forum, no answers will be given. The questions will remain open,» said Khabar Agency’s Dariga Nazarbayeva.

«It is clear that there are no set criteria to decide what is right and wrong. We ought to have some clear-cut definitions, criteria, ideological terms. We have to be tolerant of each other. I am happy for the Eurasian Media Forum and we have to meet again,» she added.

Mary Dejevsky, diplomatic editor of the London-based Independent newspaper, said: «It is unfortunate if some things have gone backwards here in the past few years. But we have to see this in a longer perspective. If you look at it in a perspective of, say, 20 to 30 years, what has been achieved so far is considerable.