MOSCOW — The BRICS+ Information and Cultural Media Centre was inaugurated on October 15th in Moscow. The centre, a joint initiative by the All-Russian State Library for Foreign Literature named after M.I. Rudomino and the TV BRICS International Media Network, aims to foster and strengthen humanitarian cooperation among BRICS+ countries, promoting culture, science, and education.
The opening ceremony coincided with the plenary session of the International Conference titled “Humanitarian Foundations of the BRICS+ Dialogue: The Role of Media in Strengthening Cooperation in the Fields of Culture, Science, and Education.”
Pavel Kuzmin, General Director of the Library for Foreign Literature, outlined the project’s goals: “We will provide our readers with reliable, verified literature that will allow them to make their own decisions. We won’t draw conclusions or provide hints for readers, but we will help them to develop their own positions.”
Janna Tolstikova, CEO of TV BRICS International Media Network, expressed hope that the Centre would become a hub for journalists worldwide, describing the inauguration as a new chapter in deepening cultural cooperation among BRICS+ nations.
Maria Zakharova, the Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, emphasized the centre’s significance in developing humanitarian cooperation between BRICS+ countries. “I believe this platform will become a vibrant hub for disseminating information. As the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we will actively support its work, cooperate, offer our agenda, and, of course, respond to the agenda generated here,” she said.
The opening ceremony was attended by representatives from government bodies, diplomatic missions, media, and public organisations from Brazil, Egypt, India, Iran, China, Cuba, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Ethiopia, and South Africa.
The BRICS+ Media Centre will be permanently based at the Library for Foreign Literature and will host events such as press conferences, seminars, roundtables, teleconferences, film screenings, and presentations of informational, cultural, educational, and scientific projects.
“The Library for Foreign Literature has for many years implemented programmes aimed at developing intercultural dialogue between people based on eternal values, first and foremost, to achieve mutual understanding. These projects introduce foreign partners to the richness of our great nation’s traditions and Russians to the national colours of countries around the world. This is what unites cultures in practice. The capabilities of the new BRICS+ Media Centre, created in partnership with TV BRICS, allow us to show the entire world just how diverse Russia is in its traditions, cultures, and languages, while remaining completely united!” said Pavel Kuzmin.
The centre is equipped with the latest technology to facilitate high-quality video communication with different countries and to organise professional live broadcasts. There are provisions for both simultaneous and consecutive interpretation.
“The aim is to create a specialised platform for dialogue and strengthening humanitarian ties between different countries. The high-quality technical facilities of the BRICS+ Media Centre and international information support for its activities provided by TV BRICS will give professionals in culture, science, education, and media new opportunities for professional communication, idea exchange, and experience sharing. Together with the team at the Library for Foreign Literature, we will unveil the cultural diversity of the world and create an encyclopaedia of humanitarian values of the BRICS nations and partner states,” said Janna Tolstikova.
A panel discussion titled “Intercultural Dialogue in the 21st Century: New Ways to Promote a Unifying Agenda Through Media” also took place at the Media Centre. The session was moderated by Ksenia Komissarova, Editor-in-Chief of TV BRICS. Among the speakers were representatives from TV BRICS partner media outlets, including Admasu Damtew, CEO of Fana Broadcasting Corporate (FBC).
“TV BRICS serves as a launching point for taking our content for international audits. <…> This content helps promote our national landmarks and historical heritage through TV BRICS,” Damtew noted.
German Ferras Alvarez, Head Correspondent of Latin American News Agency Prensa Latina in Moscow, also spoke at the event. He expressed interest in expanding cooperation with Global South countries in content production.
“The Media Centre will allow us to use new technologies, such as artificial intelligence, for information exchange. Language barriers may pose a challenge, but as the number of BRICS+ participants grows, the diversity of languages will expand as well,” Alvarez remarked.
Ali Cura, Anadolu Agency Moscow Bureau Chief Correspondent and Deputy Director for Asia and Caucasus News, stressed the importance of information exchange between countries interested in BRICS activities. He emphasised the significant role of cultural diplomacy in today’s world.
The BRICS+ Media Centre will operate permanently at the Library for Foreign Literature and will host press conferences, seminars, roundtables, teleconferences, film screenings, and presentations of informational, cultural, educational, and scientific projects.
