VNA, Thailand’s Public Relations Department deepen cooperation

 

HCM City (VNA) – The Vietnam News Agency (VNA) and the Public Relations Department (PRD) of Thailand will increase the exchange of information, especially in-depth reports on cultural and socio-economic affairs, with a view to affirming their role in providing official information in the era of digital technology.

The consensus was reached at the 15th VNA-PRD Joint Technical Committee Meeting co-chaired by VNA Deputy General Director Le Quoc Minh and his PRD counterpart Charoon Chaisorn in Ho Chi Minh City on December 4.

At the meeting, the two sides reviewed their cooperation over the past time, including the exchange of reporters as well as English text and video news.

In the last year, the VNA received more than 400 English news items and 950 video clips from the PRD while sending 500 English news stories alongside in-depth television reports to the Thai agency.

VNA Deputy General Director Le Quoc Minh spoke highly of both sides’ efforts in boosting collaboration via the exchange of text and television news and training.

The comprehensive cooperation in all fields has contributed to promoting the images of Vietnam and Thailand as well as enhancing the mutual understanding between the two countries’ people, he stated.

At present, information on Thailand is very necessary as many Vietnamese have demand for studying, working and visiting the country, he said, adding that through the VNA, the PRD information has reached crowds of Vietnamese readers and vice versa.

However, Minh noted that both VNA and PRD are facing challenges in the era of digital technology, including fake news – a global issue. In the context of booming information on social networks, the VNA and the PRD should expand their collaboration to maintain their role as official information providers in Vietnam and Thailand in order to prevent fake news.

For his part, PRD Deputy General Director Charoon Chaisorn said as the ASEAN Chair in 2019, Thailand vows to continue realising initiatives to further cooperation for ASEAN integration.

In the communication field, the PRD and the VNA play an important role in dealing with fake news, a hot topic raised at the 14th ASEAN Ministers Responsible for Information (AMRI) in Singapore in May, he said.

He also agreed that the two sides need to raise public awareness to contribute to preventing fake news on social networks, creating a reliable digital information environment across ASEAN.

Charoon Chaisorn said he wishes to witness more effective and intensive collaboration between the two agencies in the coming time, with the continued exchange of reporters and close consultation for the implementation of cooperation projects.

After discussion, Le Quoc Minh and Charoon Chaisorn signed the minutes of the meeting in which the two sides agreed on the need to deepen information cooperation, particularly in conducting in-depth reports on the cultural features of the two countries and expanding the exchange of English news with photos promoting each nation’s socio-economic and cultural situation for posting on their websites.

The two sides need to improve news quality in order to increase value and use of information. They should share information suitable to their respective needs as well as boost cooperation in training the Vietnamese language for PRD staff.

In addition, they wish to exchange information relating to ASEAN and relations of Thailand and Vietnam with other countries, especially those in the ASEAN Community.-VNA