PARIS (IRNA) -- Iran's Ambassador to the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Mohammadreza Majidi said here that independent states should use strong media facilities in order to have a strong presence worldwide.

Majidi, speaking to IRNA in Paris on the occasion of Journalist Day, said, ""In today's world, that is characterized by telecommunications and information, huge investment has been made in the fields. The domineering powers mainly use this method to secure their own illegitimate interests and thus win public support for their policies and plans.""
So, he added, ""to have a strong presence worldwide, independent states should benefit from strong media facilities, human resources and journalists so as to gain a special position in this field.""
He went on to say that such creative, wise and hard-working journalists such as martyred IRNA reporter Mahmud Saremei need to have effective presence on the media scene in line with national interests to counter big powers' monopoly on media.
Elsewhere in his remarks, the Iranian diplomat underlined more effective presence of national media, including the print and broadcast media, on the scene of information dissemination, and said, ""As Iran's representative to the UNESCO, I feel more than ever the need for more effective presence of our media on the scene.""
Majidi said the UNESCO provides a forum for introduction of genuine Iranian and Islamic culture and civilization and the country's scientific achievements to the world