BRICS media leaders pledge for greater role in multipolar world in Moscow summit

MOSCOW | Xinhua |  Over 60 BRICS media leaders from more than 40 countries joined the BRICS Media Summit opened here on Saturday, discussing 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 great changes unseen in a century and the global multilateral governance system is confronted with severe challenges.

He said that the BRICS countries have been actively promoting common development and prosperity, bringing certainty to an uncertain world economy, and they have been effectively maintaining regional and global peace and security, injecting stability into a world intertwined with changes. BRICS countries have also been vigorously promoting the common values of all mankind, adding positive energy to the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind, he said.

Looking into the future, BRICS cooperation and development enjoy a bright prospect for the future, he added.

Fu stressed that media outlets of BRICS countries are witnesses and recorders of BRICS cooperation, as well as participants and promoters. Xinhua is willing to work with all media colleagues to better tell stories of BRICS, further improving the influence and appeal of BRICS cooperation.

He noted that BRICS media should also serve as a think tank for BRICS development, providing intellectual support for BRICS cooperation and development. BRICS media should jointly stimulate new vitality of advanced technology, equipping news reporting and media development with advanced and applicable technology. BRICS media should join hands in building bridges for media cooperation, promoting people-to-people exchanges and mutual learning, and speaking in a common voice on the international stage, he said.

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 service, providing strong support for BRICS media exchanges and interactions, he added.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in a video message to the summit that BRICS is a unique multilateral cooperation mechanism, and all parties have carried out fruitful cooperation for many years.

He said that BRICS has become one of the important pillars in a multipolar world, and the interest of most countries in the world in this cooperation mechanism is growing day by day.

At present, BRICS media cooperation has been continuously enhanced, and it plays an important role in promoting the development of relations between countries, deepening people’s friendship, and promoting mutual trust and understanding, he said, adding that he hopes the summit will deepen media exchanges and cooperation among countries, and play a role in comprehensively presenting BRICS countries and today’s world to the audience in various countries.

TASS Director General Andrey Kondrashov, in his speech, thanked Xinhua for its strong support for the summit.

He noted that the influence of BRICS countries is continuously increasing, and they have become an important force in various fields such as international politics, economy, and culture.

Meanwhile, he stressed that BRICS media should cover more than just political interactions and economic cooperation of various countries due to the rich content of BRICS cooperation. They should also actively participate in building bridges of friendship between the peoples of the countries.

Mohammed bin Abd Rabbo Al Yami, director general of the Union of News Agencies of Organization of Islamic Cooperation, said that his union regards strengthening cooperation with BRICS media as a priority for its development, and is willing to widely exchange and cooperate with all parties based on respecting and promoting the diversity of civilizations.

Nomsa Chabeli, executive director of the South African Broadcasting Corporation Group, said in her speech that BRICS countries are committed to establishing a more inclusive, diverse, and just international order, adding that BRICS media should continuously expand exchanges and cooperation, make their voices better heard, jointly speak out for BRICS countries, and promote a more fair and just international public opinion.

The BRICS Media Forum was proposed by China’s Xinhua News Agency in 2015 and jointly initiated with mainstream media outlets from Brazil, Russia, India and South Africa. The mechanism has become a pragmatic and efficient platform for exchanges and cooperation between BRICS media.

Russia serves as the rotating chair of BRICS countries this year. Xinhua and TASS have agreed to jointly hold the BRICS Media Summit under the framework of the BRICS Media Forum mechanism. ■