On meeting at the SCO Secretariat with Andrei Kirillov, head of the ITAR-TASS bureau in Beijing and President of the SCO Press Club, SCO Secretary-General Zhang Ming stressed that truth was what was needed as never before in the current situation, when the whole world was being inundated with torrents of lies and brazen, provocative disinformation directed at sordid and very dangerous political aims. He expressed appreciation for Mr Kirillov's personal contribution to the effort to communicate authentic and unbiased information, about the development of bilateral relations and the situation in China, to Russian and international audiences.
According to Zhang Ming, the SCO Secretariat attached much importance to cooperation with the SCO Press Club. You are aware, he said, that since its inception, the SCO has been eyed in a wary and malevolent manner by our Western opponents, including the media. Under these circumstances, we regard the truthful information about the SCO diffused by both ITAR-TASS and the Press Club as particularly valuable. We intend to continue diversifying the Secretariat's media activities, to make its website more varied, improve its structure, and use social media on a broader scale. We would appreciate the Press Club's ideas and recommendations on how to upgrade the Secretariat's information work.
Mr Kirillov thanked the Secretary-General for the meeting. He said that the SCO Press Club would continue to step up its efforts to cover the SCO's activities, to inform the international community about the intensification of equitable and mutually beneficial partnership within its framework in various areas and about the SCO's endeavor to ensure peace, stability and co-development in its own space and beyond, and to consistently promote, in cooperation with the SCO Secretariat, the Organisation's positive image at the regional and global level.
It was agreed to continue contacts and coordination to improve the information work pursued by the Secretariat and the Press Club.