The sixth News Agencies World Congress (NAWC) opened in the Bulgarian capital city of Sofia on Thursday, bringing together more than 200 delegates from nearly 100 countries and territories around the world.— VNA/VNS Photo

Deputy General Director of the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) Lê Quốc Minh participated in activities within the framework of the congress.

Discussions during the forum will focus on ‘fake news’, artificial intelligence, the new models of ownership of news agencies and new sources of information, he said.

Bulgarian President Rumen Radev said digitalisation has already changed the perception of the world because information is in abundant supply but in reality it is the most scarce commodity.

“Today, the truth is often drowned in fake news as speed takes precedence over credibility. The destructive effect of information now has the potential to be more dangerous than bombs and missiles,” he warned.

The NAWC is an international congress for news agencies around the world, which was established in 2004 in Moscow with the purpose of ensuring and improving the members’ ability to perform as key operators in the fast growing diversity of the global media market.

The objectives of the NAWC are to strengthen unbiased news reporting, support the principle of freedom of the press and contribute to the general understanding of the news background.

The NAWC is held at least every three years.

On Wednesday, VNA Deputy General Director Minh had a working session with Vietnamese Ambassador to Bulgaria Đoàn Tuấn Linh, who said the communication work plays an important role in promoting relations between the two nations.

Applauding the VNA’s role in this regard, the diplomat hoped that the agency will help the embassy with the publication of a special photo book in Vietnamese, Bulgarian and English, and the organisation of photo exhibitions to mark the 70th founding anniversary of Việt Nam-Bulgaria diplomatic ties (February 8, 1950-2020).

Minh said the VNA has sufficient experience and capacity and stands ready to coordinate with relevant agencies to help the embassy carry out the initiatives. — VNS