DUSHANBE, May 5, Asia-Plus  - A new international public association -- Association of Persian-language Media, Afrouz – was registered in Dushanbe on May 2.

Speaking in an interview with Asia-Plus, Ms. Adolat Mirzo, one of co-founders of the association also editor-in-chief of the Dushanbe independent weekly Millat , said that one of main objectives of the association is to protect rights of Persian-speaking reporters, working in the CIS states and throughout the world.  According to her, an idea to establish such association was discussed during an international meeting of Persian-speaking journalists that was held in Dushanbe in March 2007. 

We will recall that a two-day international meeting of Persian-speaking journalists was held in Dushanbe on March 11-12, 2007.  The meeting ended with plans to establish a new media association.  More than 60 participants from several countries -- including Afghanistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Uzbekistan -- agreed to create a common website to share information and common ideas among Persian-language media.