Enhancing information cooperation between the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) and ministries, sectors, and localities lay at the heart of a conference held in Hanoi on November 19.

Since 2008, the State-run agency has signed cooperation agreements with 40 ministries, sectors, localities and other press agencies.

General Director Nguyen Duc Loi said his agency was keen to see the signatories proactively share official information with press agencies, including the VNA, to create an inflow of accurate and relevant information into the public domain and promote the image of the nation at home and abroad.

He noted that a shortage of official sources enabled non-official information to dominate public opinion, especially in today’s era of information technology and the boom of the internet.

He called upon ministries, sectors and localities to create favourable conditions for VNA reporters to access up-to-date information and expand their field of work, both domestically and internationally.

Boasting a network of 63 bureaus throughout Vietnam and 30 overseas offices in 28 nations and territories, the Vietnam News Agency publishes a number of media formats, including bulletins, online newspapers, pictorials and television programmes, supplying information to domestic and international readers and viewers.

The agency delivers news in a number of languages, including English, French, Chinese, Spanish, Lao and Khmer, the national language of Cambodia.

The monthly bilingual magazine Dan Toc va Mien Nui (Ethnicities and Mountains), a publication designed specifically for ethnic minority readers, is currently published in Khmer, Bhana, Jrai, Ede, Cham, Mong, K’ho and M’nong languages in over 40 northern, Central Highlands and southwestern localities.-VNA