Vietnamese News Agency (VNA) Director General Nguyễn Đức Lợi. — VNA/VNS Photo

TEHRAN – Vietnamese News Agency (VNA) Director General Nguyễn Đức Lợi highlighted the significance of sharing information to strengthen connection and narrow gaps in learning about events while increasing understanding among the news agencies.

Lợi made the remarks at the 43rd Executive Board Meeting of the Organisation of Asia-Pacific News Agencies (OANA) in the Islamic Republic of Iran’s capital yesterday.

“News provided by each news agency have specific characteristics, which helps create the agency’s value and strength, thus the sharing of information gives a comprehensive and thorough insight into each event and issue,” said Lợi.

He also stressed the importance of diversifying the news disseminating bases to better spread it out in line with the development of technology as well as changes in public’s access to news.

“Technological development and increased demands for news requires each news agency and OANA to non-stop renew and enhance efficiency so that voices from the Asia-Pacific region play a crucial role in the global co-operation and development,” the VNA Director General said.

Solutions to improve the operation efficiency of the organisation were discussed at the event.

Manager General of Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) Zia Hashemi said after 57 years of development OANA has been a supplier of two-thirds of the information world-wide, but, hasn’t gained a global influence as expected.

Hashemi said OANA needed to restructure and renew itself through mobilising the capabilities of all news agency members to become a much more dynamic organisation, Vietnam News Agency reported.

Opening the meeting, OANA President and Chairman of the Board of Azerbaijan State News Agency (AZERTAC) Aslan Aslanov, said the organisation should attach much importance to organising professional conferences, and forums on the sidelines of its meetings, which include the participation of non-OANA news agencies and specialists. He also recommended the establishment of a OANA’s training institution while adding that OANA members needed to be fully equipped with technological ideas and knowledge to be ready to cope with new challenges.

The meeting attendants agreed VNA would host the 44th Executive Board Meeting in early 2019 and with fundamental contents of the 17^th OANA General Assembly to be held in Seoul, South Korea in November, 2019.

On the sidelines of the OANA’s 43rd Executive Board Meeting, the VNA Director General met with OANA Chairman Aslan Aslanov, OANA General Secretary Vulgar Seidov, and IRNA Manager General Zia Hashemi. — VNS