Damascus, SANA- The Director General of the Syrian Arab News Agency, Mr. Ziad Al-Mahamid, discussed with the Chargé d’Affaires of the German Embassy in Damascus, Ms. Anne-Sophie Beckdorff and the First Secretary of the Embassy, Mr.Frederik Barmann, ways of media cooperation between the two sides.
During the meeting held at the agency’s headquarters in Damascus, Al-Mahamid reviewed the agency’s strategic plans in preparation for its new launch scheduled for June 25, 2025, with a modern visual identity.
Al-Mahamid discussed the stages of the agency development since the fall of the former regime until today, as well as the efforts made to enhance the credibility of news and the professionalism of media presentation.
“We strive to provide objective and professional content that meets the aspirations of both local and international audiences and contributes to building a professional and responsible media reality”, Al-Mahamid said emphasizing that the current media discourse is focused on promoting civil peace and rejecting hate speech and sectarianism, pointing to the importance of the media in consolidating the values of coexistence and pluralism.
Beckdorff praised the agency’s improved performance, stressing that supporting Syrian media remains a priority for promoting press freedom, voicing the German embassy’s readiness to support cooperation through the exchange of expertise and the organization of joint training courses with German media institutions, such as the German Press Agency (DPA).
Beckdorff also welcomed the decisions by the United States and the European Union to lift sanctions on Syria, which opens the door for supporting the country and establishing broader partnerships with it in various fields.
In turn, the First Secretary at the embassy, Mr. Frederick Barman, affirmed that the media plays a pivotal role in building cultural and political understanding between peoples.
In conclusion, both sides emphasized the importance of strengthening media cooperation through the exchange of media expertise, organizing joint workshops on digital media and combating misinformation, in addition to consolidating cooperation with international news agencies to ensure balanced coverage of the Syrian reality.
Noura /Fedaa
