Berlin, SANA – The Syrian Minister of Information, Dr. Hamza Al-Mustafa asserted that the ministry is working to build a free and pluralistic national media that confronts fake and misleading news, and is keen to direct a comprehensive discourse for all Syrians away from hate speech and extremism.
Al-Mustafa stated, during his meeting with the State Secretary of the German Foreign Ministry, Serap Güler, that the ministry has already started practical efforts to combat hate speech, and set journalistic ethics as a priority in its work.
“The ministry seeks to make Syria a destination for major international media outlets, given the investment opportunities available in the media industry” al-Mustafa added, stressing the importance of strengthening international media cooperation and the ministry’s conviction that there is no future for Syria without free and responsible media.
Güller welcomed Al-Mustafa’s “historic” visit to Germany, being the first Syrian Information Minister to visit Germany after the fall of the former regime, and stated her great respect for Syria’s keenness to build a free media in a country going through a challenging transitional period.
The German minister emphasized “her country’s readiness to support Syrian efforts to counter disinformation and fake news”.
Güller also pointed to the importance of including the fight against fake news and disinformation in the Syrian educational curricula, saying that Germany is ready to provide the necessary support in this field, in addition to supporting projects to build educational and media institutions and legal frameworks that guarantee media freedom in Syria.
The German minister emphasized her country’s interest in strengthening mutual cooperation in various fields, noting that Germany was the first European country to officially visit Syria after the fall of the Assad regime, and that it continues to provide support to Syria in order to achieve positive and sustainable developments.
Amer Dhawa
