VNA, PRD agree to enhance information sharing

Hanoi, July 22 (VNA) - The Vietnam News Agency (VNA) and the Public Relations Department (PRD) of Thailand have vowed to enhance the exchange of information on their respective country’s preparations for ASEAN integration by the end of 2015. The consensus was reached by VNA Deputy Director General Le Duy Truyen and PRD Deputy Director General Paitoon Hiranpradith at the 11th Joint Technical Committee (JTC) meeting in Hanoi on July 21. The two sides reviewed the results of implementation of their Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in information and news exchange and discussed measures to improve their coordination in the future. PRD proposed VNA Bangkok-based bureau train PRD reporters in the Vietnamese language. The proposed course will last at least 30 hours, enabling them to communicate in basic Vietnamese. Deputy Director General Truyen agreed in principle on PRD’s proposal. VNA is in the process of working out its development strategy until 2020 with a vision to 2030, Truyen said, adding that he hopes PRD will share its assessment and forecast of media development in the future, particularly in the aspects of radio service and social media. “I am confident that PRD professional experiences will be very useful for VNA in the course of mapping out its development strategy and we will also work out measures to take VNA – PRD ongoing projects to a new height of efficiency”, Truyen noted. Paitoon Hiranpradith, for his part, noted with pleasure that since the 10th Bangkok JTC meeting in August 2013, VNA – PRD cooperation has become comprehensive. Concluding the meeting, both sides signed a letter of transmittal for the 2014-2015 period. The 12th JTC meeting will be held in Bangkok in May 2015.-VNA