BRICS Media Summit Begins In Moscow, Sets Stage For Upcoming Kazan Summit

By D. Arul Rajoo

MOSCOW, Sept 14 (Bernama) -- The BRICS Media Summit kicked off in the Russian capital on Saturday, serving as a prelude to next month's BRICS Summit in Kazan.

More than 200 delegates from 45 countries are attending the four-day summit at the World Trade Centre. 

During the opening, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov delivered his recorded speech, while his deputy, Sergei Ryabkov, who was in attendance, opened the summit.

The event, organised by the Russian News Agency TASS, which is commemorating its 120th anniversary this year, also featured opening remarks from its director-general Andrey Kondrashov.

Also present were Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) chief executive officer Nur-ul Afida Kamaludin and editor-in-chief D. Arul Rajoo.

Fu Hua, executive chairman of the BRICS Media Forum and the director-general of China’s Xinhua News Agency, and Mohammed Abd Rabbo Al Yami, director-general of the Union of Information Agencies of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (UNA OIC), were also in attendance.

As part of Russia’s BRICS presidency, the country is organising several international events, forums, and summits across various fields aimed at strengthening cooperation between BRICS members.

The participants of the Media Summit include heads of leading media organisations from BRICS countries, nations applying to join the association, and other media partners of TASS.

The Media Summit will feature panel sessions with experts focusing on the role of the BRICS media community in bolstering stability and cooperation in a multipolar world, as well as technological aspects of information collaboration between BRICS countries.

In July, Malaysia applied to join BRICS, which was established in 2009 with its initial members: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

The bloc, named after the initials of its founding members, has since expanded to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim attended the 9th Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Russia, where he met with President Vladimir Putin and was invited to attend the Kazan Summit.

During the BRICS Media Summit, TASS will also host the 53rd Organisation of Asia Pacific News Agencies (OANA) Executive Board meeting, where discussions will focus on the future of the organisation and the impact of AI (artificial intelligence) on media.

OANA, which covers two-thirds of the world’s population, now has 43 members from 35 countries across Asia and Oceania.

--BERNAMA