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The Vietnam News Agency (VNA) and the Cambodian news agency AKP signed a renewed cooperation agreement, marking a significant step forward in their collaborative efforts. This event took place during President To Lam’s state visit to Cambodia and was underscored by a meeting between VNA General Director Vu Viet Trang and AKP Director General Sokmom Nimul in Phnom Penh.
Vu Viet Trang highlighted the importance of this visit as a demonstration of both agencies’ commitment to enhancing their information and communication efforts. This renewal aims to address the evolving needs of the press in the digital era, reflecting the dynamic cooperation between Vietnam and Cambodia across various levels, and further strengthening the bilateral relationship.
Trang noted that despite the absence of in-person meetings due to the COVID-19 pandemic, both agencies maintained effective collaboration. She expressed gratitude to the AKP for its support of VNA correspondents stationed in Cambodia.
Trang also provided an overview of VNA’s operations, emphasising the agency’s adoption of new media technologies across different stages and its continuous efforts to enhance personnel capabilities in the digital age. As part of its digital transformation strategy, VNA has implemented diverse solutions to expand its product offerings. These include integrating text, images, audio, infographics, and video clips into its news productions, making them accessible on various platforms.
The VNA’s extensive network includes representative offices in all 63 cities and provinces of Vietnam, as well as 30 cities in 28 countries worldwide. It collaborates with approximately 40 international news agencies and media service providers, including AKP.
Sokmom Nimul praised the fruitful cooperation between the two agencies, recognising VNA as a reliable partner. She acknowledged VNA’s support for AKP’s development and stressed that the relationship between the two news agencies mirrors the strong friendship and mutual support between their countries.
Nimul expressed confidence that the recent talks and the new agreement will further strengthen the VNA-AKP relationship. This partnership not only promotes their roles as national news agencies but also contributes to bolstering Vietnam-Cambodia relations. She also briefed Trang on AKP’s ongoing reforms, which are focused on technology and personnel development, and requested further support from VNA, particularly in television broadcasting.
The two agencies agreed to propose a joint project aimed at enhancing bilateral cooperation within the framework of Vietnam-Cambodia intergovernmental collaboration. They underscored the need for closer, regular cooperation in verifying information to provide accurate and timely news to prevent misinformation from affecting bilateral relations.
The new cooperation agreement includes provisions for information and delegation exchanges, technical support, journalist training, and coordination at press forums. In a gesture of goodwill, VNA also presented television equipment to AKP. This renewed cooperation marks a significant milestone in harnessing digital technology and innovation to advance journalism and foster closer ties between Vietnam and Cambodia.
Vietnam is eager to undergo digital transformation in the journalism field to provide high-quality news and information and enhance the citizen experience. As OpenGov reported, this commitment is reflected in a decision signed by Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha, approving a strategy for digital transformation in journalism until 2025, with a vision towards 2030.
The transformation will enable the journalism sector to guide public opinion, safeguard information sovereignty in cyberspace, improve reader experiences, create new revenue sources, and promote the digital content industry’s development. By 2030, all press agencies are expected to release content on digital platforms, primarily domestic ones, with 90% using data analytics and AI to optimise operations.
Additionally, 100% of agencies will operate in converged newsroom models, producing content aligned with digital media trends. The strategy also targets a 20% revenue increase for 50% of press agencies.
