Mohammad Mahdi Rahmati, CEO of Mehr Media Group (which consists of Mehr News Agency and English-language daily Tehran Times) made the remarks during his address to the 6th World Media Summit underway in Urumqi, China.
Organized by Chinese Xinhua news agency, the global media summit is eyeing innovation, and unity on course toward building a shared future for humanity, according to Xinhua website.
In his speech on Tuesday, Rahmati emphasized the importance of cultural and people-to-people exchanges between the countries that are members of the Belt and Road Initiative.
He referred to the historical links between Iran and the Silk Road countries, describing the Chinese initiative as an opportunity to revive the lost identity and strengthen international cooperation.
"Revival of this route is important not only because of its economic benefits but also because it is an opportunity for cultural and human exchanges," Rahmati said, adding that, "Westerners' criticism of the initiative has mostly roots in their concern about a change in the world order in favor of the East."
"Anyway, the 'Belt and Road' project provides a model for human-centered development that focuses on the three elements of economy, culture, and people.
He further stressed the importance of people-centered and cultural cooperation, saying that, "Creating consensus and common understanding among the people of the member countries will strengthen the bases of the [Chinese] project. In the meantime, the role of Asian cultures and civilizational diversity should not be neglected. Chinese philosophy also believes that civilizations enrich each other through equal exchanges."
Elsewhere in his speech, Rahmati pointed to the oppression of the Palestinian people and the importance of defending their ideals, saying that supporting the Palestinian people is not a political and diplomatic issue. He stressed that the Palestinian right to live in peace sans humiliation should be recognized by everyone.
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