Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc on Friday meets with heads of delegations attending 44th Executive Board Meeting of the Organisation of Asia-Pacific News Agency (OANA) in Hà Nội. — VNA/VNS Photo Thống Nhất

HÀ NỘI — On Friday, Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc met a delegation of representatives of members of the Organisation of Asia-Pacific News Agencies (OANA) who are in Hà Nội for the 44th OANA Executive Board Meeting (EBM). 
PM Phúc congratulated the leaders of OANA members on the success of the EBM meeting hosted by the Vietnam News Agency (VNA).
He said he appreciated the theme of the meeting “For a professional and innovative journalism”, and topics discussed at the event, saying they were important in the context of the complicated development of the role of information around the world. 
OANA President Aslan Aslanov, who is also Chairman of the Board of the Azerbaijan State News Agency (AZERTAC), thanked the Vietnamese Government and authorised agencies for their support for the meeting, saying the event served as a venue for representatives of regional news agencies to exchange information and promote co-operation. 
PM Phúc said "press agencies, especially news agencies, play an important role in contributing to promoting social development, enhancing solidarity and friendship among nations and promoting peace in the world". 
"Press agencies need to modernise their operations in the digital era," he stressed. 
Agreeing with Aslanov’s views on the need to deal with rampant fake news, PM Phúc said there should be official information from news agencies to give accurate information to the public. 
News agencies must provide accurate and fast information to the local, regional and global press systems, and create effective tools to verify and correct false information, he stressed.
In its development strategy, Việt Nam facilitates the operation of press agencies and journalists and encourages press agencies to expand their application of digital technology, according to the PM. 
He said the VNA had taken steps towards renewing its operations and expanding international co-operation to bring accurate information in Vietnamese and foreign languages to friends around the world.
The leader took the occasion to commend the VNA on its achievements in expanding new types of information, as well as the news agency’s hosting of the 44th OANA EBM meeting, saying that the event helped connect regional and international journalists. 
He expressed his belief that with the presence of prestigious regional news agencies in Hanoi, the image of a friendly, peace-loving, hospitable and beautiful Việt Nam would be promoted to the international community. — VNS