Azernews.Az

By Sabina Idayatova

Journalism determines the course of events in the world, Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev said at the opening of the 11^th Eurasian Media Forum in Astana on Thursday.

"Today media sphere is not just a compiler of all the events taking place in the world, but it is acquiring the force of one of the most important substances, which determine their course in certain countries and the world in general," Nazarbayev said.

Nazarbayev went on to say that the Eurasian Media Forum takes place in Astana for the second time and participation of the leading journalists and experts here evidences the growth of authority of the forum.

He said mass online journalism is a new stage in the development of the journalism. It provides endless opportunities for media development. According to experts, in the near future communication and media will make up about 70 percent of the national product.

"Despite the declines, the media market will grow, mainly due to consumer demand. I believe that the discussions about the forthcoming disappearance of printing or end of the Gutenberg Era are premature... In the future, newspapers and publishing houses will not disappear, like theaters which have not disappeared after television appeared," Nazarbaev said.

Nazarbayev said over its 11-year history, the Eurasian Media Forum has become a unique platform for the exchange of views for journalism community.

"The Forum has also made a significant contribution to the development of the Eurasian integration," Nazarbayev said.

The two-day forum was initiated for promotion of professional development of the Eurasian media. The discussions will focus on the problems at the global and regional levels, security issues in Central Asia after the withdrawal of NATO troops from Afghanistan, situation in the Middle East, the prospect of the Eurasian Economic Union, the issue of information security and the real possibility of a "green economy" in Kazakhstan.

More than 60 organizations around the world, prominent international politicians, journalists, economists and public figures are participating at the conference.