ISLAMABAD, Dec 16 (APP): The speakers at an international conference in Moscow called for strengthening cooperation and partnerships between Islamic world and Russia in the field of media for spreading the truth and countering “misinformation”.
The conference, titled “Russia and the Islamic World: Practical Steps in Media Cooperation”, was co-organized by the Group of Strategic Vision Russia – Islamic World (GSV), Sputnik International News Agency, and the Union of OIC News Agencies (UNA).
The international event was attended by officials of the Russian Federation, the OIC, representatives of regional and international organizations, and media professionals from various countries, said a press release received here Friday.
In his video address, President of the Republic of Tatarstan and Chairman of the Group of Strategic Vision “Russia – Islamic World” Rustam Minnikhanov emphasized that relations between Russia and the Islamic world had historically been known for their high level of trust and cooperation.
Calling for collaboration to counter the spread of misinformation, he said cooperation with Muslim countries through mass media was one of the key aspects of Russia’s international policy.
For his part, the Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs, Grigory Karasin, underlined that Russia was a multinational and multi-confessional country and that its citizens traditionally supported strengthening ties with Islamic countries.
He said the conference was aimed at discussing ways to establish equal cooperation between Russia and Muslim countries and to provide citizens with equal access to truthful, unbiased information through establishing direct cooperation between the Union of OIC news agencies and major Russian media outlets.
Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the OIC Ramazan Abdulatipov recalled the recent visit of the OIC secretary-general and his deputies to Russia, when “…the main directions of interaction between Russia and the OIC were outlined.”
“We face the task of providing information support for this important direction of Russia – OIC cooperation,” he stressed.
UNA Acting Director General Mohammed Abd Rabbo Al-Yami, in his video address, appreciated the significant role played by the Group of Strategic Vision to enhance long-term cooperation between Russia and Islamic countries.
Al-Yami stressed that the conference sought to set practical steps for media cooperation between the Islamic world and Russia.
He called on all participating representatives to benefit from the strengths of the Union as a media body. The UNA’s neutral international training centre brings together 57 members from four continents under its umbrella and has an international news platform in three languages, Arabic, English and French.
“Since its formation, the Union of OIC News Agencies has been working on the principles of moderation, opposing manifestations of Islamophobia,” he noted.
Russia and the Muslim world were united by longstanding, historical ties and that the United Arab Emirates was proud of its long historical ties with Russia, said Director General of the Emirates News Agency (WAM), Mohammed Jalal Al Rayssi.
“There are many things that unite us and enable us to work together. Our task is to disseminate the truth about what is happening in the world,” Al Rayssi stressed.
He said it was necessary to develop a framework for working together toward fraternity and tolerance.
The Director of the Media and Communication Department in the OIC Wajdi Sindi stressed the importance of establishing strategic partnerships in the media field with leading media institutions in the Russian Federation.
He indicated that the OIC encourages strengthening cooperation and solidarity in media.
The head of the Russian Foreign Ministry Press Center, Deputy Director of the Department of Information and Press Ivan Nechayev talked about the specifics of the ministry’s work with foreign journalists from Muslim countries.
The diplomat reminded that Russia was a multinational and multi-confessional country with a rich historical experience of coexisting different cultures. The development of cooperation with the Islamic world is one of the most critical priorities of the Russian foreign policy doctrine.
The conference also marked the signing of a memorandum of cooperation between the Union of OIC News Agencies and the International Video Agency (Ruptly), which is specialized in providing visual news content.
