DUSHANBE, 23.05.2023 (NIAT Khovar) – The Forum of Heads of news Agencies «China-Central Asia» was held in Beijing on Tuesday, May 23, a few days after the historic summit of the China – Central Asia Summit in Xi’an.

Today’s meeting is dedicated to cooperation in the field of mass media of six countries, where Tajikistan was represented by the Director of the National Information Agency of Tajikistan «Khovar» Subhiddin Shamsiddinzoda. The forum is organized by the official news agency of the Government of the People’s Republic of China «Xinhua».

Also attended the Forum were the President of China’s Xinhua News Agency Fu Hua, director general of the National News Agency of Uzbekistan (UzA) Abdusait Kuchimov, Director of the Kyrgyz National Information Agency «Kabar» Mederbek Shermetaliev, Deputy Director General of the Television and Radio Complex of the President of Kazakhstan Tlegen Abishev and Head of the State Agency of Turkmenistan Merdan Gazakbaev.

As the director of Khovar News Agency Subhiddin Shamsiddinzoda noted, it is a matter of pleasure that the forum will be held directly after the first Summit of the heads of states «China-Central Asia».

It was stated that in order to further strengthen cooperation on all issues of development of states, serious attention is paid to strengthening the institutionalization of this form of cooperation. Ensuring information security in the modern world is considered the main element and factor in ensuring national security.

“It has been said that ‘who controls information controls the world’. Within the framework of its international obligations as an independent state and a full member of the international community, the Republic of Tajikistan constantly makes significant efforts to combat all undesirable phenomena, including terrorism and radicalism, «information wars» and confrontations that create threats and dangers” — Subhiddin Shamsiddinzoda said.

After spending 30 years of diplomatic relations between China and five Central Asian countries, strategic partnership were continuously established between these states. The mass media of China and the five Central Asian countries have a unique advantage: they strengthen mutual understanding and trust between peoples, strengthen mutual exchanges between civilizations, and contribute to the building of the Chinese and Central Asian community.

The sides expressed their readiness to further strengthen cooperation based on the consensus of the heads of state participating in the China-Central Asia summit, and enrich cooperation formats in order to achieve new results.

The mass media of China and the five Central Asian countries should unite and coordinate their forces and promote international justice. The media of China and the five Central Asian countries agreed to expand exchanges and cooperation in the collection and dissemination of information, to choose topics of mutual interest for planning and organizing joint interviews, as well as to cooperate in the field of reporting activities in order to jointly tell the «stories of the Silk Road» and promote the «spirit of the Silk Road», as well as actively develop cooperation in the scope of application of advanced media technologies.