-PARTICIPANTS DECIDE TO IMPROVE COOPERATION BETWEEN AGENCIES OF THE REGION
THESSALONIKI - Greek Macedonia Press Agency (MPA) on Monday hosted Association of the Balkan News Agencies (ABNA) meeting, aiming to improve cooperation among agencies of the region, in Greek capital Thessaloniki.
Hilmi Bengi, Executive Board President and Director General represented Anadolu Agency during the meeting.
Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Andreas Loverdos addressed the opening ceremony of the meeting.
Stressing that transmission of deficient and distorted news reports to neighboring countries should be prevented, Loverdos said correct, accurate and impartial news transmission among Balkan countries should be provided. He said this could not be fulfilled with the private news agencies, so that they expected ABNA to put forward proposals in this respect. Loverdos said they were ready to expend necessary financial support to implement this.
Loverdos mentioned EU Thessaloniki summit held last weekend, and stated that Greece, during its term presidency, managed to turn the attention of the Union to the Balkans.
The participants also discussed participation of private news agencies to ABNA in observer status. They decided for establishment of an ABNA internet web site, installation of a press award, and implementation of an exchange program for the journalists who work in regional agencies.
National news agencies of Turkey, Greece, Romania, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Serbia Montenegro, and Albania participated in the ABNA meeting.
(AY-AÖ) 23.06.2003