Damascus, SANA – Dr. Hamza al-Mustafa, Minister of Information, met Sunday with Wahid Mubarak Sayyar, Bahraini Ambassador in Damascus, to discuss enhancing and expanding media cooperation and exchanging expertise between the two countries. Both officials underscored the deep historical ties binding the Syrian and Bahraini peoples.
During the meeting, the Bahraini Ambassador expressed his hopes for peace and stability for the Syrian people.
He praised Syria’s cultural and religious diversity, highlighting it as a source of strength and a driving force for Syrian civilization. He emphasized that tolerance and coexistence in Syria are inherently rooted and do not require institutional regulation, reflecting the profound Syrian experience in fostering values of diversity and social integration.
For his part, Minister of Information commended Bahrain’s role during the Syrian crisis and praised the commendable stances of the King of Bahrain towards Syria and its people.
He expressed admiration for Bahrain’s experience in media freedom, stressing the importance of leveraging it to develop the Syrian media landscape. He also highlighted the Ministry’s efforts to intensify reciprocal visits and sign a memorandum of understanding with Bahraini media outlets to establish a developed and flourishing media environment in Damascus.
The Minister of Information reviewed ongoing efforts to reshape the external perception of the situation in Syria, pointing to the work being done to adopt a professional code of ethics involving journalistic syndicates, unions, and all media professionals.
He also addressed the fierce electronic warfare Syria faces from “electronic flies” (online trolls) and fake accounts, revealing that over 250,000 fake accounts are actively spreading false news and misleading content about the Syrian situation in an attempt to influence public opinion and tarnish the country’s image abroad.
Dr. al-Mustafa affirmed that Syrians have, over the years of the crisis, developed resilience and awareness against attempts at sectarian, doctrinal, and regional mobilization.
He emphasized the Ministry’s reliance on the citizens’ awareness to confront these threats and expressed his anticipation of meeting with his Bahraini counterpart to establish a strategic media partnership between the two countries, expanding cooperation and exchanging expertise.
Ruaa al-Jazaeri
