The Vietnam Journalists Association (VJA) will host the 18th General Assembly of the Confederation of ASEAN Journalists (CAJ) in 2015, with the VJA Chairperson acting as CAJ President for a two-year period.

The decision was made by CAJ executive board members during a conference in Hanoi on September 12, when they also approved the establishment of a CAJ journalism training committee chaired by VJA Vice Standing Chairman Ha Minh Hue.

Other issues on the agenda included reviewing the implementation of the CAJ’s programmes and its cooperation with the ASEAN Secretariat.

Addressing the event, VJA Chairman Thuan Huu said that since the member countries were pushing the formation of an ASEAN economic community by the end of 2015, the regional press needed to work closer to boost the development of each country and build a peaceful, united and stable ASEAN.

The VJA was willing to contribute more to CAJ to help increase the press’ role in expanding the ASEAN community, he added.

The Vietnamese association joined the CAJ, founded in 1975, when Vietnam became an ASEAN member in July 1995.-VNA