Mr. Chairman, I would like to commend the Government of Tajikistan on a move it made recently to bolster freedom of the media in Tajikistan. We welcome the registration of the independent news agency and production house Asia-Plus in Tajikistan.

Asia-Plus Radio began broadcasting on the 11th anniversary of Tajikistan's independence, on September 9. The station broadcasts a mix of music and news and regularly covers political parties and local and international current events. Its coverage of politics and current news is doing much to fill the information vacuum in Tajikistan.

Let me close by saying that we hope that other States in the region will follow Tajikistan's example.