A forum bringing together media organizations and analytical centers from member, observer, and dialogue partner countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) was held in Kyrgyzstan’s capital Bishkek on Monday as part of the country’s SCO chairmanship.
The “SCO Media and Analytical Centers Forum: Shanghai Cooperation Organization in a New Era – From Mutual Understanding to Practical Cooperation,” jointly organized by Kyrgyzstan’s Kabar National News Agency and China’s Xinhua News Agency, brought together around 250 representatives from SCO member, observer, and dialogue partner states.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Dayirbek Orunbekov, head of the Information Policy Service of the Kyrgyz Presidential Administration, said the role of journalists has become increasingly important alongside technological advances.
“It is quality journalism that helps strengthen trust among states and conveys the importance of major regional projects to the public,” he said.
Kabar Director Mederbek Shermetaliyev stressed the importance of responsible journalism and fact-based reporting in the face of growing disinformation and cyber threats driven by digitalization.
In a statement, the SCO Secretariat said the forum reaffirmed the need for dialogue between media organizations and expert communities, adding that participants agreed to strengthen professional contacts and promote the development of a multipolar international information space.