Thailand, Bangkok, Dec 14 /Trend E.Huseynov/
The Organization of Asian and Pacific Ocean countries News Agencies (OANA) plays an important role in maintaining the stability of a democratic society in the region and promotes mutual understanding between the organization's 33 member countries, Deputy Director of UNESCO Bangkok Etienne Clément said today at the opening of the anniversary meeting of OANA in Bangkok.
Clément said that OANA was initiated with the support of the UNESCO in 1961 and today professional contacts, technical support among 44 members of the organization on exchange of news and multimedia content play very important role in the region.
New OANA President Kamal Ozturk congratulated all members of the organization on the anniversary and expressed confidence in continued fruitful cooperation between mass media in the region of Asia and the Pacific. He urged to pay special attention to the publication of photos and video covering conflicts, violence and natural disasters. Ozturk said Turkish news agency Anadolu which he headed, has already submitted a similar letter to the leading media outlets, which are members of organizations such as the OANA, EANA and FANA. Kamal Ozturk expressed hope that the organization's members will support Anadolu's initiative to adopt special declaration in this matter.
Thailand's Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul congratulated the OANA members with the 50th anniversary and said that the anniversary coincided with the birthday of the King of Thailand. Tovichakchaikul stressed that the OANA ensures freedom of information exchange in the region, which plays an important role.
OANA meeting in Bangkok, organized by the Thai News Agency TNA, and the Thai public organization MCOT, will run until Dec. 15.
Trend Agency Deputy Director General for International Relations Elchin Huseynov is also attending the meeting.
Within the jubilee celebrations two round tables will be held on the OANA activity and its mission in the 21st century.
It is expected to approve a declaration about ethic recommendations devoted to OANA fiftieth anniversary for meeting results. The declaration project has prepared by Turkish agency Anadolu, the OANA acting president. The declaration will contain leading editorial principles for war, conflict, terror and natural disaster reporting.
OANA was formed on Dec.22, 1961, upon a UNESCO initiative. The OANA aims to expand and facilitate the exchange of information between Asian and Pacific countries, and to participate in eliminating the imbalance in the information exchange between developed and developing countries.
Today, the OANA brings together 40 news agencies from 33 countries. Its members include the Russian Itar-Tass, Turkish Anadolu, Japanese Kyodo News, Chinese Xinhua, Iranian IRNA, Saudi Arabian SPA, South Korean Yonhap, Pakistani PPI and APP, Kazakh Kazinform, Indonesian ANTARA and others.
Trend became OANA's full member in November 2010 at the 14th General Assembly of the organization in Istanbul.
