The Minister of Culture, Youth, Sports and Relations with Parliament, Mr Mohamed Ould Soueidatt, received the Executive Board of the Mauritanian Journalists’ Union, led by Union President Mr Ahmed Taleb Ould Maâloum, in his office in Nouakchott at midday on Thursday.
The Union President submitted to the minister a petition containing 18 demands, foremost among them the situation of contributors working in public media organisations.
The minister said that President of the Republic Mr Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani gives particular attention to the media sector by involving its professional and union bodies in presenting their visions and proposals for reform.
He said that the ministry is open and ready to involve all stakeholders in developing and reforming the sector.
The minister added that his department is preparing a comprehensive programme to raise professional competence and strengthen institutional development, enabling the media to fulfil its leading role in the country’s development and prosperity.
He outlined to the Executive Board aspects of the transformation programme led by the President of the Republic, aimed principally at building trust with citizens, and the prominent role the press can play in that context.
For his part, Union President Mr Ahmed Taleb Ould Maâloum expressed the Executive Board’s readiness to engage constructively with this transformation and the new vision for developing the media sector.
He welcomed the Government’s readiness and openness towards all stakeholders in serving and advancing the sector and lifting it out of a situation that had remained below expectations for decades.
The President stressed that meeting the submitted demands would have a positive effect on the sector’s ability to fulfil its development role effectively.
The meeting was attended by Mr Ahmed Issa Yeslem El Yedali, Director of Accreditation and Relations with the Press.
