Localities urged to promote external information service

Hanoi (VNA) – Local officials must heed the importance of external information work amidst rapid and complicated changes in regional and world situations and strengthen the guidance, monitoring and inspection of activities in the field, a Party official in charge of the work said.

Addressing a conference on November 10 reviewing external information work in northern cities and provinces, deputy head of the Steering Committee for External Information Work Pham Van Linh also required local administrations to ensure budget for the work.

Linh, who is also deputy head of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Informations and Education, underlined the need to provide training for those working in the field, particularly staff in local agencies, as well as the supply of sufficient and timely information for communication purposes.

The sector itself should try to renew working style and content of coverage, with more attention paid to services in foreign languages, he said.

Members of the central steering committee and representatives from 25 steering committees for external information work in northern cities and provinces agreed that after five years implementing the Politburo’s conclusion 16 on the strategy for external information development for 2011-2020, remarkable progress has been recorded in many localities.

Thanks to improved awareness of local officials about the importance of the work, external information work has been carried out in a planned and systematic manner with quality and on larger scale. The work has contributed to increasing social consensus and winning support of the international community and overseas Vietnamese, thus creating favourable conditions for national development, maintaining political stability and national security, firmly defending national independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, enhancing the country’s position in the regional and international arena while timely countering false and distorted information about Vietnam.

Participants also shared the view on shortcomings that should be addressed promptly, particularly the poor planning work and weak coordination among different agencies operating in the field.-VNA