(ANSA) - TRIESTE, NOVEMBER 15 - A forum on press freedom begins today in Tirana, organised by the CEI, Central European Initiative, based in Trieste, and SEEMO, South East Europe Media Organisation, based in Vienna. The objectives of the forum are to protect press freedom, create networks among independent reporters, help regulate the activities of media workers and protect them from being physically and verbally assaulted and put under heavy pressure. Numerous journalists from various countries in the region will participate in the meeting, which takes place every year. They will report their experiences and the situation in their countries. This year the forum focuses on "Thinking Beyond the Conventions: Profitability and Transparency in the Media Market". Some journalists will be awarded special prizes: Stevan Dojcinovic and Dragana Peco (Serbia) in the Professional Journalists section; Nino Bilajac (Bosnia-Herzegovina) in the Young journalists section will be awarded the CEI SEEMO Award 2018 "for outstanding merits in investigative journalism". CEI and SEEMO, supported by the Adenauer Foundation, Italian Trade Agency (ITA), Embassy of Italy in Tirana and the Republic of Austria, organized this two-day forum. Slovak journalist Ján Kuciak killed last February will be remembered with a special diploma that will be delivered to Olivera Lakic (Montenegro), who was injured in May. (ANSA).