ZHENGZHOU – Speaking at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Media and Think Tank Forum, Dr. Mohammad-Mehdi Rahmati, CEO of Mehr Media Group, emphasized the need to build institutional frameworks for media cooperation in order to help shape a just and equitable international order.

Addressing more than 400 participants—including media professionals, think tank experts, and government officials from SCO member states and dialogue partners—Rahmati underlined the strategic and foundational role of media in promoting fairness and balance in global affairs.

The forum is being held from July 23 to 27, 2025, in Zhengzhou, capital of China’s Henan Province, with the support of major institutions including China’s Xinhua News Agency, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and the Henan provincial government.

This event comes in the lead-up to the 25th SCO Heads of State Summit scheduled to take place in China this September.

The full text of Dr. Rahmati’s speech is as follows: 

“Dear distinguished guests attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Media Summit,

Respected media executives and representatives from SCO member states,

Good day.

It is a great honor and pleasure for me to be here with you and to speak at this important gathering. I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to my dear friend Mr. Fu and his dedicated colleagues at the esteemed Xinhua News Agency for organizing this event.

In recent years, Xinhua has demonstrated its key role in fostering media coordination and cooperation both regionally and internationally. Its performance reflects the "Shanghai Spirit," which is founded on mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for cultural diversity, and the pursuit of shared development.

When we speak of a fair and just order, it is only natural to recognize the importance of historical and regional identity in shaping such a new order. For instance, in my country Iran, Abu Nasr Mohammad al-Farabi (a 10th-century philosopher known in the West as Alpharabius) is regarded as the founder of Islamic philosophy and a prominent thinker in music theory.

He was born in Farab, present-day Kazakhstan, passed away in Damascus, Syria, and wrote most of his works in Arabic. Yet throughout the region—including Iran—we consider him as one of our own. Beyond any rivalry over the ownership of cultural heritage, this reflects the deeply interconnected roots of our shared identity in Central and Western Asia. Any international order that ignores such shared cultural foundations cannot truly be fair and just.

The “East” as constructed by the West has been critically examined by scholars like Edward Said (a Christian Arab), Homi Bhabha, and Gayatri Spivak (both Indian thinkers). These may be among the earliest intellectual attempts to highlight the need for a more balanced and equitable order. Whether one subscribes to post-colonial theory or not, the right to define a just and independent national and international system must be preserved for all of us.

One foundational approach to building a fair and just global order is to embrace the idea of an international community rooted in civilizational diversity. As Chinese philosopher Mencius said in the 4th century BCE: “Things are different by nature.” Therefore, any future that seeks to strengthen alternative mechanisms like the SCO, in the face of unilateralism and forced homogenization, must be committed to civilizational and cultural diversity.

Shanghai is non-Western—but it is not anti-West. The SCO provides a framework for balanced institutional cooperation, both in managing relations among member states and in engaging with other international actors. It offers an alternative vision for international order.

Organizations like this, through meaningful joint action, can play an ethical and effective role in shaping a new world order based on fairness and justice.

But a key question that I believe this media gathering of SCO members should address is: How can culture and media promote a fair and just order through the Shanghai Cooperation Organization?

The first step is to build mutual trust within the organization and to set up clear, smooth frameworks for media cooperation. A designated secretariat could take responsibility for this. In line with the Shanghai Spirit, we must understand each other better—and media are our main tools for achieving that. Diversity and difference are natural. What matters is that we build cooperation based on the countless shared topics we do have. The secretariat should regularly monitor and report on the level of participation by members, and help circulate valuable news and analysis—while collaborating with major media outlets, rather than becoming a competitor to them.

The second step is to support the Shanghai Spirit through increased media dialogue. Providing equal opportunities for discussion and seeking mutual understanding are essential. The result of this media engagement would be less internal conflict within the organization and more solidarity and cooperation in achieving its goals. Media collaboration in such dialogues allows for the voices of different countries to be heard, and for genuine interaction toward a fairer, more just order.

The third step is for SCO media to actively pursue the implementation of decisions made during various organizational meetings, both nationally and internationally. Deep institutionalization is key to becoming a leading, influential entity—one that can hold its ground against pre-existing structures. Media can play a central role in this process. For example, in the economic sphere, the proposed SCO Development Bank, if realized, would significantly deepen the institutional framework of the organization.

The fourth step is to believe in the importance of mutual commitment to Asian security as a requirement for establishing a fair and just order. Media must help articulate and expand on this concept, enabling broader public understanding of its meaning, dimensions, and necessity—because such ideas cannot become reality without public support and participation.

As a fifth step and a concrete joint initiative, I propose media engagement in supporting the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Although SCO members contribute to the BRI at different levels, it stems from a shared cultural and historical experience. The ancient Silk Road once enabled cultural exchange, economic cooperation, and regional solidarity that benefited all participants. While China, as the main initiator, plays a strategic role in shaping the BRI, it has always welcomed dialogue and expanded cooperation—particularly among SCO members. Through constructive engagement, these countries can help make the BRI a successful model of international development. The media, too, can clarify misunderstandings about the initiative through open dialogue within their own societies and internationally—and become key drivers of its progress.

They say people are never the same after war. Less than a month ago, I was a different person. Only those who have tasted the pain of war truly understand it. I’m not sure whether we, as journalists, have moved closer to war, or whether war has silently drawn close to us. The loss of 227 journalists in Gaza is no small matter. Just forty days ago, during the war between Iran and the Israeli regime, one of my friends, Nima Rajabpour, was martyred.

We grew up together in the Narmak neighborhood of Tehran, once known for its pomegranate trees. He was four years older than me and became a journalist several years before I did. We went to school, mosque, and the gym together. In recent years, our daughters had also become friends, attending music and pottery classes side by side.

Unlike me, who was drawn to media management, Nima believed journalism and news editing were sacred callings. On the day Israeli warplanes fired eleven missiles at the central building of Iran’s national broadcasting organization, he was killed by flying shards of hot metal and glass. He died with the same calmness and kind smile he always had—now stained with blood.

I wish war didn’t take kind people away from us. I wish it didn’t turn lives into mere memories. I used to think war makes people more distant and less loving—but Nima’s memory has made us stronger. I’m sure those who are real cannot be destroyed by war.

Thank you for your attention.”