Indonesia's Minister of Communication and Informatics Budi Arie Setiadi (centre) and President of Antara News Agency Akhmad Munir (left) and other delegates take a photo after launching the ASEAN Newsroom. (Photo: ANTARA) Jakarta (VNA) – Indonesia has established an ASEANNewsroom at the media centre of the 43rd ASEAN Summit, aiming tostrengthen the synergy between regional news agencies as well as expand the scope of reporting.
In his remarksat the inauguration of the ASEAN Newsroom, Indonesia’s Minister ofCommunication and Informatics Budi Arie Setiadi highlighted efforts to raise public awareness and promote public participation in various ASEAN agendas.
Apeople-centred approach will promote solidarity among Southeast Asian communities,while cooperation between news agencies from ASEAN member states willfacilitate the exchange and dissemination of information, he said.
According to ANTARA News Agency's PresidentDirector Akhmad Munir, the establishment of ASEAN Newsroom, a concept initiatedby ANTARA, aims to work and exchange ideas, transcending borders andlanguage barriers to foster unity and understanding between culturally diversenations.
Its mainmission is to bridge the gaps that exist between ASEAN countries, clarify thechallenges to achieving success in the ASEAN community, and foster a sense ofmutual belonging among ASEAN citizens, he continued.
Theexistence of the ASEAN Newsroom can be a starting point for strengthening notonly relations between news agencies in the ASEAN region but also various mediafrom ASEAN member countries that are expected to contribute to efforts to enrichregional perspectives and awareness in reporting various important events inthe ASEAN region, Munir noted.
In the long term, the ASEAN Newsroom has the potential tobecome an ASEAN data bank thatcan also be utilised by various parties outside the ASEAN region, he added./.
