Vietnamplus, 06/07/2010

The accord, signed by VNA General Director Tran Mai Huong and his KPL opposite number, Khamsene Phongsa, called for comprehensive cooperation in improving the quality of news and photos, exchange of publications and experiences, and human resource development.

Other goals include mutual assistance in infrastructure construction, support for reporters from the two news agencies to fulfil their duties and exchange of high-level delegations and reporters.

Chief of Vietnam ’s only newswire service Tran Mai Huong pledged that VNA would do its utmost to boost bilateral relations.

It is aimed at meeting the demand for development and contributing to traditional relations between the two peoples in general and generations of journalists from the two agencies in particular, he concluded.

In reply, KPL General Director Khamsene Phongsa spoke highly of effective cooperation and assistance from VNA to his agency over the past years.

He congratulated VNA on its recent steady growth, especially the expansion of multimedia channels such as e-newspapers and the test-broadcasting of a TV news channel (Vnews).

Measures to implement the accord topped a meeting between VNA Deputy General Director Nguyen Duc Loi and the KPL leader on July 6, after reviewing progress made in the similar accord for the 2006-10 period.

Khamsene Phongsa took this occasion presented four VNA reporters with the Lao Government’s certificates of merit for their efforts in covering SEAGAMES-25 held in Vientiane , Laos , in November, 2009.

VNA Deputy General Loi was also present at a reception given by Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan to the KPL delegation.

Nhan affirmed Vietnam ’s willingness to share experience in human resources and hardware development with KPL based on traditional friendship and special cooperation between the two countries.

Emphasing a rising demand for information by both Vietnam and Laos during their economic development, Nhan called on the two news agencies to work harder together for timely news coverage and boost mutual understanding between the two peoples./.

Timely coverage is necessary to help world public further understand the two countries, too, the Deputy Prime Minister concluded.

For his part, Khamsene Phongsa pledged to further cover friendship and special cooperation between Vietnam and Laos , focusing on young generations to promote the traditional relations./.