MOSCOW, (Xinhua) -- More than 60 BRICS media leaders from over 40 countries joined the BRICS Media Summit that opened here Saturday to discuss the role of BRICS media in promoting a multipolar world.
Fu Hua, president of Xinhua News Agency and executive chairman of the BRICS Media Forum, said in his keynote speech that today's world is in the midst of major changes not seen in a century, and the global multilateral governance system is facing serious challenges.
He said that the BRICS countries are actively promoting common development and prosperity, bringing certainty to an uncertain world economy and effectively maintaining regional and global peace and security, and bringing stability to a world wrought with change. The BRICS countries also vigorously uphold the common values of all humanity and add positive energy to building a community with a shared future for humanity, he said.
Looking to the future, cooperation and development of BRICS have bright prospects, he added.
Fu stressed that the media of the BRICS countries are witnesses and recorders of BRICS cooperation, as well as participants and promoters of it. Xinhua is willing to cooperate with all media colleagues to better tell BRICS stories and further improve the influence and appeal of BRICS cooperation.
He noted that the BRICS media should also serve as a think tank for BRICS development and provide intellectual support for BRICS cooperation and development. The BRICS media should jointly stimulate the new vitality of advanced technology, equip news and media development with advanced and applicable technology. He said BRICS media should join hands to build bridges for media cooperation, promote people-to-people exchanges and mutual learning, and speak with a common voice in the international arena.
As a member of the BRICS Media Forum Presidium and the host organization of the liaison office, Xinhua will also play an active role in overall planning, coordination and services, and provide support for BRICS media exchanges and interactions, he added.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in a video message at the summit that BRICS is a unique multilateral cooperation mechanism and all parties have been conducting fruitful cooperation for many years.
He said that BRICS has become one of the important pillars in the multipolar world and the interest of most of the countries of the world in this cooperation mechanism is growing day by day.
At present, the BRICS media cooperation is constantly improving and playing an important role in promoting the development of relations between countries, deepening people's friendship and fostering mutual trust and understanding, he said. He added that he hoped the summit would deepen media exchange and cooperation among countries and play an important role in comprehensively presenting the BRICS countries and today's world to audiences in different countries.
In his speech, TASS Director General Andrey Kondrashov thanked Xinhua for its strong support of the summit.
He noted that the influence of the BRICS countries is growing steadily and the countries have become an important force in various fields such as international politics, economy and culture.
He stressed that the BRICS media should cover more than political interactions and economic cooperation of different countries because of the rich content of BRICS cooperation. It should also take an active part in building bridges of friendship among the peoples of the countries.
Mohammed bin Abd Rabbo Al Yami, Director General of the Union of News Agencies of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, said his department considers strengthening cooperation with BRICS media as a priority for its development and is willing to widely exchange experiences and cooperate with all stakeholders in respecting and promoting the diversity of civilisations.
Nomsa Chabeli, CEO of the South African Broadcasting Corporation Group, said in her speech that the BRICS countries were committed to a more inclusive, diverse and equitable international order, adding that the BRICS media should continuously expand exchanges and cooperation to improve their contacts, collectively speak for the BRICS countries and promote a fairer international public opinion.
The BRICS Media Forum was proposed by the Chinese news agency Xinhua in 2015 and initiated jointly with mainstream media from Brazil, Russia, India and South Africa. The mechanism has become a pragmatic and effective platform for exchanges and cooperation among BRICS media.
Russia is the rotating chair of the BRICS countries this year. Xinhua and TASS have agreed to jointly host a BRICS media summit under the BRICS Media Forum mechanism.
Xinhua/Bai Xueqi / gnews.cz-roz_07
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