Vientiane (VNA) 💧– The Vietnam News Agency (VNA) and the Lao News Agency (KPL) will continue working closely together to improve the effectiveness of their exchange of information in all forms and personnel training between 2016 and 2020.

The consensus was reached by VNA General Director Nguyen Duc Loi and his KPL counterpart Sounthone Khanthavong during their talks in Vientiane on December 23. The two sides expressed satisfaction at their cooperation during the past five years, meeting the goals set in their agreement, particularly those on diversifying the forms of exchanged information, the VNA’s help in technical equipment and professional training for the KPL, and the KPL’s assistance in bringing the VNA’s television channel to Lao audience through Lao’s cable TV network. The two news agencies also worked together to publish a book on the history of their close ties over the years. Speaking at the talks, the VNA General Director called for better coordination between the VNA’s correspondents based in Laos and the KPL, particularly as Laos will assume the role of ASEAN Chair next year. KPL General Director Sounthone Khanthavong thanked the VNA for its support over the past time, particularly in publishing the Lao Pictorial in 2012-2013, producing and airing news programmes, upgrading technical infrastructure and the capacity of producing multimedia news. He said the addition of links to VNA’s news websites, including //vnanet.vn/webdichvu/, //yes8877.cc/ , and //vietnam.vnanet.vn/lao, onto KPL’s website kpl.net.la and the broadcast of the VNA’s Vnews channel on Lao cable television network have spread VNA’s news to a larger base of Lao audiences. Host and guest agreed to continue assisting each other in improving the quality of their information in all forms, sharing experience in training, exchanging reporters and visits and broadening coverage of the two countries’ special ties and each other’s country, people and customs, as well as the latest political and socio-economic developments in the region and the world. The VNA and KPL leaders committed to closer collaboration at regional and global forums to which they are members, and mutual assistance in terms of technical infrastructure and transfer. They also discussed specific ways to increase professional cooperation as the two countries are to hold major events next year, including the 12 th National Party Congress in Vietnam, the 10 th National Party Congress in Laos, among others. On the occasion, the VNA presented several pieces of technical equipment to the KPL to help with the production of audio and video programmes. Concluding the talks, the two leaders signed a professional cooperation agreement for 2016-2020. VNA General Director Nguyen Duc Loi is in Laos for a working visit at the invitation of his KPL counterpart from December 23-26.-VNA