General Director of Vietnam News Agency Nguyễn Đức Lợi (third left, first row) and leaders of the Organisation of Asia-Pacific News Agency (OANA) news agencies pose for a group photo at the 17th General Assembly of OANA. VNA/VNS Photo

SEOUL – President of the Republic of Korea (RoK) Moon Jae-in highlighted the good relations between the RoK and Việt Nam in all fields while hosting delegates from the Organisation of Asia-Pacific News Agency (OANA) in Seoul on Thursday.

The delegates are leaders of news agencies in Asian-Pacific countries, including General Director of Vietnam News Agency Nguyễn Đức Lợi.
The President said Việt Nam and the RoK have a lot of similarities, especially in culture, and expressed his hope that the Southeast Asian country will continue making contributions to the development of relations between the RoK and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Speaking at the meeting, VNA General Director Lợi mentioned the rapid development of Việt Nam -RoK relations over the past 10 years since the two countries elevated their ties to the strategic partnership.
The VNA leader went on to say that there are sufficient grounds to affirm that the bilateral relations will continue developing in all aspects, especially when the RoK defines Việt Nam as an important partner in the New Southern Policy.
He said as part of the sound relations between Việt Nam and the RoK, the VNA and the RoK’s Yonhap news agency have been actively joining efforts to promote the two countries’ relations through diverse information products on their media channels.
The reception for leaders of news agencies in Asia-Pacific took place on the sidelines of the 17th General Assembly of OANA which is taking place in Seoul on Thursday and Friday.
The OANA was established in Bangkok, Thailand, on December 22, 1961 under the initiative of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) to strengthen and facilitate the popularisation and exchange of information between news agencies in Asia-Pacific, a dynamic region home to over 50 per cent of the world’s population.
OANA now has 44 member news agencies from 35 countries. The agencies are responsible for two-thirds of information circulated throughout the world. Every day, they publish around 200 news stories, photos and video clips on the OANA website at https://www.oananews.org/.
Since joining the OANA in 1969, the VNA has proven itself as one of the active members of the organisation. The agency was elected to the OANA Executive Board for two consecutive terms, with each lasting for three years, from 2013 to present. The VNA hosted the OANA Executive Board Meetings in 1988, 1999, 2005 and 2019, actively contributing to completing the organisation’s targets. — VNS