Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (R) and his Malaysian counterpart Dato’ Sri Ismail Sabri bin Yaakob (L) witness the exchange of cooperation agreement between VNA and Bernama (Photo: VNA) Earlier on March 19, VNA Director-General Vu Viet Trang andBernama Editor-in-Chief Khairdzir Md Yunus held talks and signed the agreement.
This is the first in-person talks that the VNA has organisedsince the COVID-19 outbreak in late 2019, and the Malaysian delegation is alsothe first foreign partner welcomed by the Vietnamese news agency this year. Theevent took place on the threshold of the Malaysian PM’s official visit toVietnam.
Under the deal, the two news agencies will continue with theexchange of texts and photos, and enhance the exchange of video and infographic news.The two leaders committed to maintaining the exchange of information abouthigh-level visits; supporting each other's resident reporters; continuing to support each other at regional and international press forums,especially within the framework of the Organisation of Asia-Pacific News Agency(OANA); and sharing experience and cooperating in training personnel inprofessional and technical fields. They also agreed to consider the possibility of conducting other cooperative activities related to communication.
VNA Director-General Trang said as Vietnam will be hosting the upcoming 31st Southeast Asian (SEA) Games this year, the VNA, with its role as thenational news agency, will provide information about this event for Bernama,and hopes that the latter will expand its coverage on the event.
She also proposed the two agencies use more information ofeach other, with the focus on cooperation in post-pandemic economic recoveryand development; exchange experience in digital transformation; and hold ajoint communication activity towards the celebration of the 50th anniversary of Vietnam-Malaysia diplomatic ties in 2023.
The guest agreed with the host’s proposals, and expressedhis hope that the newly-signed agreement will help lift the strategiccooperation between VNA and Bernama to a new height.
The two national news agencies set up ties in1991 with the signing of a professional cooperation agreement. The re-signingtook place in 2015 within the framework of the 38th OANA ExecutiveBoard meeting.
The two Prime Ministers also witness the exchange of a Letter of Intent on Cooperation between the two Diplomatic Academies of the two Foreign Ministries by Vietnamese Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son and his Malaysian counterpart Dato' Sri Saifuddin bin Abdullah (Photo: VNA) Meanwhile, Minister of Justice Le Thanh Long and MalaysianAttorney General Tan Sri Idrus Bin Harun exchanged a Memorandum ofUnderstanding on legal cooperation between the two Governments.
Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Dao NgocDung and the Malaysian Foreign Minister exchanged a Memorandum of Understandingon recruitment, employment and labourer repatriation between the twoGovernments./.
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