Phnom Penh (VNA)♏ – The Vietnam News Agency (VNA) and the Cambodian news agency AKP on July 12 renewed their cooperation agreement within the framework of President To Lam’s state visit to Cambodia.

The signing took place following the talks in Phnom Penh between VNA General Director Vu Viet Trang and AKP Director General Sokmom Nimul. Trang affirmed that this visit demonstrates the desire to make the information and communications cooperation between the two agencies more substantive and effective, meeting the requirements of the press in the digital technology era, matching the dynamic cooperation between the two countries at all levels, and contributing to strengthening the Vietnam-Cambodia relationship. She stressed that although in-person meetings were not held over the past time due to COVID-19 impacts, the two sides have still effectively carried out cooperation activities. She used the occasion to thank the Cambodian agency for its support to VNA correspondents in the host country. Briefing the AKP leader on the VNA’s operation, Trang said the agency has optimised new media technology in different stages, and worked to raise the capacity of its personnel in the digital technology era. In the context of strong digital transformation, the VNA has put in place various solutions to diversify its products, and utilised rich data sources, she said, adding its news productions see the combination of text, image, audio, infographics, and video clip, and the public can access them through different platforms. The VNA boasts a network of representative offices in all of the 63 cities and provinces at home, and 30 cities in 28 countries worldwide, according to the General Director. Besides, it has sourced products from about 40 news agencies and media service providers worldwide, including the AKP. Nimul, for her part, spoke highly of the effective cooperation between the two agencies, stressing the VNA is a friend and a reliable partner of the AKP. She also highlighted the VNA’s support for the Cambodian agency’s development. The relations between the news agencies as well as the two countries are based on their friendship, closeness, and mutual support, she continued. Nimul expressed her belief that the talks and the signing will help tighten the VNA-AKP relationship, promote their important role as national news agencies, and contribute to consolidating and enhancing the Vietnam-Cambodia relations. Briefing Trang on the AKP’s ongoing reforms, which focus on technology and personnel, Nimul called for the VNA’s further support in these fields, especially television broadcasting. The two sides agreed to propose that the two countries’ competent agencies consider the possibility for the VNA and the AKP to coordinate in implementing a project to improve bilateral cooperation capacity within the framework of Vietnam-Cambodia intergovernmental cooperation in the time ahead. They stressed need to cooperate more closely and regularly in verifying information, and providing accurate and timely information for audiences both at home and abroad in order to prevent fake news from affecting the Vietnam-Cambodia relations. The agreement for the new period between the news agencies covers information and delegation exchanges, technical support, assistance to correspondents, training for journalists, and coordination at press forums. On this occasion, the Vietnamese agency presented television equipment to its Cambodian counterpart. During their stay in Cambodia on July 12-13, the VNA delegation also visited the Vietnamese Embassy, and had a working lunch with Cambodian Minister of Information Neth Pheaktra, during which they compared notes on press management and development orientations in the two countries./.