The Government has recently issued a decree mandating information services and press activities of overseas journalists and foreign representative offices and organisations in Vietnam.

At the Foreign Ministry’s latest regular press briefing, spokesperson Luong Thanh Nghi stated that the decree, which will take effect on December 20, 2012, was introduced to update and simplify the previous one.

It also adds some new provisions, making it easier for the foreign media, representative offices and organisations in conducting information services and press activities, Nghi said.

According to Decree No. 88/2012/ND-CP, a representative office of a media agency can now be located outside Hanoi, if in another centrally-run province or city.

Foreign media agencies are now allowed to send their resident correspondents to work in other localities in the country.

Meanwhile, foreign journalists can also now work for different press agencies in Vietnam apart from their own and correspondents from other countries can work concurrently in Vietnam.

Resident foreign journalists will now have their press card operation duration valid for 12 months instead of six months as before.

The new decree also stipulates that resident foreign correspondents can contact any locality, ministry or agency directly to ask about ongoing press activities, not through the Foreign Ministry as before.

The procedures and time period for dealing with requests for information and press activities from a foreign media have also been simplified.

According to Nghi, the Foreign Ministry will liaise with other agencies to issue a circular containing guidelines on the new decree.-VNA