Kazan (UNA) – The activities of the media forum “Russia - the Islamic World: Media Cooperation for Sustainable Development and Economic Prosperity” kicked off today, Thursday, in Kazan, Russia. for journalism and mass communication in Tatarstan.
The forum was held with wide participation of officials and media figures in Russia and the Islamic world, on the sidelines of the 2023th International Economic Forum “Russia - the Islamic World: Kazan Forum XNUMX”.
At the outset of the forum, the Acting Director General of the UNA Union, Muhammad Abd Rabbo Al-Yami, welcomed the participants and the heads of news agencies, expressing his thanks and appreciation to all parties that contributed with the Union in organizing the forum.
Al-Yami stressed that the forum being held within the framework of the “Kazan 2023 Forum,” which is known for its economic and development dimensions, is evidence of the awareness of those in charge of organizing the forum of the importance of the media and its pivotal role in the processes of sustainable development and economic well-being.
He pointed out that the forum represents an opportunity to enhance partnership and cooperation in areas of common interest between news agencies that are members of the Federation and the media in Russia, which occupies the status of an observer member of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, pointing out that the Federation was keen to include the Russian language in its new digital platform available in more than 18 international languages.
Al-Yami stressed that he is confident that the outcomes of the forum will lay a solid building block for long-term cooperation between the two sides, whether with regard to defining economic and investment opportunities in the “Islamic Cooperation” countries and Russia, enhancing the role of media in attracting foreign investments, and providing entrepreneurs with the information they need about financial markets, or regarding It relates to presenting the civilizational and cultural heritage of the two sides and focusing on the human commonalities that bring them together, which would contribute to bringing their peoples closer together and strengthening the bonds of interdependence and coexistence.
He continued, “We are also confident that this cooperation will reflect positively on the professional level of media practitioners in the “Islamic Cooperation” countries, and Russia, with the consequent exchange of practical experiences and the establishment of joint activities and programs in the field of media qualification, stressing the union’s readiness to harness all its training and educational platforms to embrace programs related to media rehabilitation. Journalists in Russia and the Islamic world, which would activate the role of the Federation as an international house of expertise in the fields of journalism and communication.
The head of the Republican Agency for Press and Mass Communication “Tatmedia”, Aidar Salimgarayev, praised the role of the Federation in organizing the forum, stressing that the ideas that will be presented during the forum will resonate at the federal level of the Russian media.
For his part, Wajdi Ali Sindi, Director of the Information Department of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, explained in his speech during his virtual participation in the forum that the media work in the organization aims to contribute to activating cooperation among member states, and to reflect that in literal content that reaches a wide segment of the peoples of the world. Islam and the world.
Sindi pointed out that the organization's media department is diligently seeking to contribute to linking the organization with its international partners, and highlighting common denominators with other organizations and active countries, in order to create conditions for more cooperation, in service of global development goals.
Sindi thanked the Republic Agency for Press and Communication, the Union of News Agencies of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and the Strategic Vision Group “Russia - the Islamic World” for organizing the forum.
In turn, Deputy Chairman of the Strategic Vision Group “Russia - the Islamic World”, Vice Chairman of the International Affairs Committee of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, Farit Mukhamishin, called for strengthening cooperation between Russia and the OIC countries in the field of media, and shaping the future of media at the global level.
During the first session of the forum, which was held under the title “Media as a driving force for sustainable development and economic partnership between countries,” a number of directors of news agencies and organizations reviewed aspects of media cooperation to enhance economic cooperation.
Secretary of the Federation of Journalists in Russia, Head of the International Section of the Union, Timur Shafir, stressed the need to find permanent cooperation between media organizations in Russia and the Islamic world to hold courses and seminars for journalists from both sides.
In turn, the Director General of the Iraqi News Agency, Sattar Jiyad, gave a brief overview of the Iraqi News Agency, which was launched in 1959 as the second news agency in the Middle East, indicating that it now speaks five languages (Arabic, English, Turkmen, Kurdish, and Syriac).
Sattar affirmed the openness of the Iraqi government and its official media to all countries, and to cultural, civilizational, scientific and other sectors, especially the Russian Federation and the countries of the Islamic world, stressing the full readiness of the Iraqi News Agency to support the goals of the forum and to establish constructive partnerships with official agencies and exchange working experiences with media institutions operating in the union. Russia, as well as all Islamic countries.
For his part, the President and Director General of the Tunis Africa Press Agency, Najih Al-Misawi, reviewed part of the agency's contributions, which is the oldest in the African continent, stressing the agency's keenness to move forward in the media process by devoting the principle of public utility that guarantees the citizen the right to information.
Al-Messawi pointed out that this forum allows the Tunisian Agency to discuss new partnerships and agreements with prominent Russian news agencies that have a prestige at the international level.
Al-Misawi urged the media not to call for tension and fuel conflicts and wars, calling for presenting the experiences of successful countries in the economic field.
In turn, the Director General of the Islamic Center for the Development of Trade confirmed Latifa Al-Boabdlawi We cannot imagine economic progress and prosperity without responsible and effective media that plays the role of lever for sustainable economic development, noting that the media helps to transmit information and news quickly and effectively, which contributes to raising awareness and promoting education and education, and thus increasing the efficiency of the workforce and thus achieving greater profitability for level of different sectors.
Al-Boabdlawi stressed that the media plays an important role in enhancing transparency in institutions and governments, which contributes to the creation of public life and the promotion of economic and social development.
And she warned against bias and manipulation in the media, pointing out that the media can transmit inaccurate or subjective information in favor of certain interests, which affects transparency and exposes the market to unfair risks.
It also warned against the spread of false news that may affect confidence in the markets and cause unjustified fluctuations in prices and transactions, calling for enhancing awareness and education about false news and how to identify it, as awareness campaigns can be organized for the public and enhancing the media and analytical skills of economic dealers.
The second session witnessed a discussion of the topic “The Russian-Islamic world through the perspective of information partnership: from history to practical steps in the present and the future.” A number of media experts in Russia and the Islamic world reviewed some of the proposed projects and programs to enhance media cooperation between the two sides.
During the session, Erman Yuksel, Editor-in-Chief of International Languages at the Anatolian News Agency, spoke about the agency's global reach, indicating that it publishes its news in 13 languages, including Russian and Arabic.
Yuksel also touched on the need for cooperation between news agencies in the Islamic Cooperation Countries and Russia, including in the field of combating the phenomenon of Islamophobia.
Also speaking during the session were the director of the “RT Arabic” network, Maya Manna, and the head of the international cooperation department in the “Russia Segodnya” / Sputnik media group, Asia Samoilova, in addition to the editor-in-chief of the “IRNA” international language agency, Abbas Aslani Hayatullah.
At the end of the forum, the Acting Director General of the Federation of News Agencies of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) delivered the recommendations of the forum, which included holding periodic media forums between media institutions in Russia and their counterparts in the OIC countries to discuss issues of common concern, and to enhance news exchange between the two sides.
It also included working to find joint media platforms between the two sides in specific fields, including the economy, Islamic financial and banking markets, and tourism, and to enhance cooperation between media institutions in Russia and the OIC countries in the field of preserving traditional, cultural and religious values.
The recommendations called for activating the memorandums of cooperation signed between the Federation of News Agencies of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and Russian media institutions in establishing joint activities and programs, especially in the field of media training and qualification.
It also called for the establishment of a permanent institutional framework for media cooperation between Russia and the countries of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to serve as the official umbrella for the implementation of joint activities and programs, and to enhance investment in the development of media and media institutions, in addition to strengthening professional relations and ties between press unions in Russia and the Islamic world.
After the forum, a memorandum of cooperation was signed between the Union of News Agencies of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation countries and the republican “Tatmedia” Agency for Press and Mass Communication in Tatarstan, where it was signed by the Union’s Director-General in charge, Muhammad Abd Rabbuh Al-Yami, and by “Tatmedia”, the head of the agency, Idar Salimgarayev.
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