The Vietnam News Agency (VNA) and the Antara News Agency of Indonesia agreed to strengthen their cooperation efficiency in the coming time at talks between their top officials in Hanoi on June 24.

The Antara President and Managing Director, Saiful Hadi, is currently on a visit to seek stronger information connection between the two news agencies.

During the talks, VNA General Director Nguyen Duc Loi and Saiful Hadi compared notes on their common concerns, while emphasising the role played by news agencies in enhancing information exchange and friendship between countries, especially among ASEAN member nations.

Host and guest discussed the establishment of a federation of ASEAN news agencies.

They also proposed measures boosting their coordination at multilateral forums, thus heightening the role of communications in solving regional and international issues.

After the talks, a cooperation agreement on exchanging information, with a number of the contents adjusted, was signed. The two news agencies came to terms in the field for the first time in 2001.

The new agreement will enable the two agencies to continue exchanging English news and pictures, which will be provided freely for their countries’ press agencies.

They also pledged to work closely in exchanging visits, press correspondents and copy editors in the future.
Antara will support VNA correspondents in operating in Indonesia.

On the occasion, the Indonesian guests toured several key editorial boards and information units of VNA.-VNA