Tbilisi. On August 29, the Georgian platform of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum has released the special statement on the pre-election media environment in Georgia. "Parliamentary elections to be held in Georgia are the crucial stage in terms of the country's democratic development and integration with the EU. Accordingly, ensuring the free and competitive electoral environment is the key task, while the sound media environment is the significant integral part of this process", – says the statement.

According to the statement, there are certain improvements in terms of media pluralism, but the access to diverse information still remains a challenge. In addition, the statement concerns the terms of the "must carry" and "must offer" principles, the arrest of satellite dishes of TV company "Maestro", facts undermining journalistic activities, etc.

The National Platform calls on the Georgian authorities to take adequate measures. Further, it calls on the EU, the embassies accredited in Georgia and the international missions to treat these issues as priorities when communicating officially with the authorities.