On the sidelines of the 18th Organization of Asia-Pacific News Agencies General Assembly, the Director General of the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) Kiril Valchev in an interview with Mehr correspondent answered some questions about the meeting.
In your speech, you talked about the Iranian poet 'Saadi' and Iranian poetry and literature. How did you get familiar with Iranian literature specially Saadi?
Actually, I studied in the school of ancient cultures and languages. We learned a lot about Hafez and Saadi. Almost 20 years ago I had the chance to visit Shiraz the town of both of them [Iranian poets]. That is why I'm interested a lot. We can learn a lot from them.
I mean I quoted one expression of Saadi [in the meeting] like to repeat it again... I put it to the conference to not blame others and to blame only yourself.
Don't think that you are everything and everything is because of you. it's so smart.
If we stand together, it will be easier to live together.
Following the recent developments in the country, some western media are trying to portray Iran as insecure. How do you evaluate the hospitality of Iranians and the security situation in Iran?
Actually, I read in a travel guidebook that if there is a competition for hospitality, Iranians will win.
I got the opportunity to visit the great city of Isfahan and to see the hospitality of the people. And to see something more the palace of Shah Abbas and the Imam square.
There are anchors from European artists. This is a good example that here you know very well how to accept the best things from abroad. It is good to continue this.
Actually, I believe that everybody has a right to access free information.
The goal is to make information business, to earn money but actually, it has been written in all constitutions that every human doesn't matter, whether man or woman, Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, white or black have the right to know and to be educated in public schools. And to know news from news agencies, because they broadcast truth and facts without evaluations.
One of the issues that the media are dealing with these days is the issue of fake news and disinformation. How do you assess holding such international meetings to counter the threats caused by fake news?
The biggest problem is that lies are absolutely free. The truth is paid. More agencies all over the world expect money for them.
We have to change this. Actually, covid-19 changed this because all agencies made news for covid-19, for vaccination free for everybody, it's stupid to expect money from this, and the future is to make access to the news, to the true news agencies absolutely free.
Actually, the Bulgarian news agency made it. We are a state agency, we are under the parliament, and we receive full coverage of our budget from the society actually, through taxes and I think this is the future.
It's better to find a way to have access to the information, to exchange the information between us, between our agencies, to know each other, to not agree with each other but to know the opinion of others, and this is the way to have peace between us.