The fifth regional conference of Central Asian media sponsored by the OSCE\'s Office of the Representative for Freedom of the Media ended in Bishkek on 18 September with the adoption of a declaration that called for the media to be able to \"exercise their corrective function toward the economic interests and activities of politicians and their families without any legal or other consequences,\" uzreport.com reported on 19 September. The declaration, signed by the 120 participants in the conference, added that the corrective function of the media is essential for the future success of Central Asia\'s economic development. The conference, which was titled \"Media in Multicultural and Multilingual Societies,\" was attended by journalists from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, government officials, parliamentarians, and civil-society activists. According to the report, the Turkmen authorities refused exit visas to potential participants from Turkmenistan. (RFE/RL)