Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- Uzbekistan ranked 156th out of 180 countries in the 2020 annual report of the Press Freedom Index compiled by Reporters Without Borders.

According to the report, Norway has maintained leadership in press freedom for the fourth year in a row. The five also included Finland, Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands. Among the countries of Central Asia, Uzbekistan, having improved its position, managed to overtake Kazakhstan.

Despite the fact that Uzbekistan managed to rise by 4 positions compared to last year, our republic is still among the countries with a “difficult” situation in the field of freedom of speech.

Nevertheless, over the past three years, Uzbekistan has shown significant growth in the index. In particular, in 2018 it was possible to rise to 4 positions (from 169th to 165th), in 2019 by 5 positions (from 165th to 160th) and another 4 positions in 2020. An important role in this is played by large-scale reforms to further develop information and mass communication, strengthen freedom of speech and the press, protect the rights of journalists and media representatives and support their free activities.

According to the report, the process of “warming” is taking place in the country, including the lifting of previous bans on a number of websites, simplification of registration processes in the media, direct coverage of political events and processes, as well as coverage of such delicate issues as corruption and forced labor.

The inability to criticize high-ranking officials, censorship and self-censorship, maintaining significant control over the media, threats to bloggers in the report are noted as obstacles that must be overcome.