Inaugural meeting of Global South Media Partners Mechanism opens in Xi'an

The Global South Media Partners Mechanism Inauguration Meeting and the 13th Global Video Media Forum (VMF) opened in Xi'an, the provincial capital of Shaanxi in northwest China on Thursday.

Themed "Building Consensus for Shared Benefits: Media's Role in Global Governance," the two-day event gathers hundreds of government officials, leaders of international organizations, and representatives of major media outlets across the Global South to exchange views on enhancing the voice of developing countries, promoting fairness and equity in international communication, and sharing compelling stories of peace and development.

The event also marks the official launch of the Global South Media Partners Mechanism, contributing wisdom and strength to building a better and brighter shared future for humanity.

Promoting equal consultation, common development, and enhancing the discourse power of developing countries is the very purpose of establishing the Global South Media Partners Mechanism and the consensus of Global South countries.

Heads of several media organizations from Global South countries, leaders of international media organizations, and diplomatic envoys to China have either addressed the event or sent video messages.

Established by the CCTV Video News Agency (CCTV+) in 2011, the VMF focuses on video content dissemination and technological innovations and serves as a key annual exchange platform for global media users and partners. The event has now evolved into a premier global forum, attracting extensive participation from media organizations and professionals worldwide.

This year's edition is jointly sponsored by CCTV+, the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Xi'an Municipal Committee, and the China Media Group Shaanxi Bureau, with help from China Global Television Network.

Inaugural meeting of Global South Media Partners Mechanism opens in Xi'an

Inaugural meeting of Global South Media Partners Mechanism opens in Xi'an

Inaugural meeting of Global South Media Partners Mechanism opens in Xi'an

Inaugural meeting of Global South Media Partners Mechanism opens in Xi'an

Any escalation of the conflict between the United States and Iran would bring catastrophic results for regional security and beyond, said the spokesman for the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Majed bin Mohammed Al Ansari, on Tuesday.

Speaking at a press conference, Ansari urged both sides to exercise restraint and find diplomatic solutions to settle differences.

"We know that any escalation of the sort that you describe would have catastrophic results in the region and beyond. And therefore, we want to avoid that as much as possible. The talks continue, our calls continue. There is no specific effort that I can point to right now, but we are involved in talking to all parties, obviously, with our neighbors and our partners in the region to find a diplomatic solution," Ansari said.

Ansari stated that Qatar has been working to mediate the rising tensions between the United States and Iran. Qatar maintains that the only viable way to resolve the issue is through dialogue, specifically a comprehensive and inclusive process that fully considers the concerns of countries in the region and relevant international parties, he said.

He emphasized that the dialogues should include all issues, including the nuclear issue, in the discussion.

Qatar will continue to maintain close communication with its regional partners and is committed to promoting a solution to the issue through diplomatic means, Ansari said.

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated on Tuesday that Russia strongly condemns external interference in Iran's internal affairs, and the U.S. threat to launch a military strike against Iran are "categorically unacceptable."

Zakharova stated that Iran has suffered from illegal Western sanctions for many years, hindering national development and creating economic and social problems affecting ordinary citizens. Foreign forces hostile to Iran are attempting to exploit the escalating tensions within Iranian society to destabilize the Iranian regime.

The illegal sanctions imposed by the West have been impeding Iran's development for many years, which also triggers economic and social problems that impact ordinary Iranians, Zakharova noted.

Russia also firmly rejects the attempts to blackmail Iran's foreign partners through increasing trade tariffs, she said.

Any escalation of US-Iran conflict to bring 'catastrophic results' for regional security: Qatar foreign ministry