VNA designated to be main external media agency

Hanoi (VNA) – The Prime Minister has approved a master plan for the media system serving external relations to 2020 with a vision to 2030, which defines the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) as the main national media agency in the field.

The plan sets the goal to develop an electronic newspaper in five major languages of English, French, Spanish, Chinese, and Russian. The newspaper should be among top 10 online newspapers in terms of visitors’ access from Vietnam and top five Vietnamese e-newspapers in terms of visitors’ access from other countries.

At the same time, the plan also aims to develop a number of printed newspapers and magazines in the five main foreign languages while encouraging media agencies to increase space for information serving external relations.

The VNA is assigned to make proposals on the development of a number of printed newspapers, magazines and electronic newspapers at the regional and international scale.

Under the plan, support will be provided to the publication of a printed magazine and an electronic newspaper for overseas Vietnamese on a trial basis.

Besides those in the five main foreign languages, press publications in other languages such as Japanese, Korean, German and Arabian will be encouraged.

The plan also targets higher quality of information for external relations, while encouraging media agencies to use social networks and other new communication methods.

Vietnam’s media services for external relations will continue to be expanded abroad,  especially targeting neighbouring countries, major world powers, ASEAN members, the US, the EU, Japan and Latin American countries, along with overseas Vietnamese communities.

The plan also underlines the need to continue building and boosting external relations media through the improvement of professional media staff and modern equipment and better database, as well as the importance of strengthening international cooperation in the field.

Media services for external relations should focus on popularizing the Party and State policies and law, and introducing the country’s history, culture and people, renewal achievements, potential and relations with partners. At the same time, they will provide timely counter-arguments to wrongful and distorted information that aims to harm the renewal course in Vietnam and the country’s independence, stability, sovereignty and territorial integrity.-VNA