NAPLES - ANSAMED, the new international news agency for the Mediterranean area set up under leadership of Italian news agency ANSA and including Anadolu Agency (A.A) among its founder members, was promoted by a conference held in Naples, Italy on Monday.
Director General of Turkish Press and Information Abdurrahman Bilgic, A.A Director General and Executive Board Chairman Hilmi Bengi and A.A Deputy Director General Elvan Baransel attended the conference.
Speaking in the meeting, Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said that Turkey's becoming a European Union (EU) full member was important.
Frattini said that ANSAMED would increase communication among Mediterranean countries and stressed that ANSAMED was of utmost importance for promotion of the region and dialogue among civilizations.
Italy had confidence in steps taken by Turkey on the road to EU full membership, Frattini noted and said that it was the indicator that the enlargement process had not yet been completed and should continue.
Frattini said that Italy, as a country which was the architect of the enlargement process, was carefully following developments about Mediterranean, friend and neighbor Turkey.
Italian Foreign Minister Frattini stated that improvement of dialogue among civilizations and religions in the Mediterranean basin was important for international fight against terrorism.
ANSAMED would further improve dialogue in the Mediterranean, Frattini stressed.
Frattini said that Western and Arab world should improve cooperation in fight against violence and terrorism.
Bilgic said that ANSA and A.A signed cooperation agreement on ANSAMED in March.
''ANSAMED project has entered into a critical period. It is a significant development to disprove the thesis of those who defend conflict of civilizations. The Mediterranean should no more be remembered by earthquakes, crises and wars. Improvement of cooperation in this region, the cradle of civilizations, will have significant contribution to peace, development, welfare and reciprocal changes,'' Bilgic stated.
Bilgic thanked Frattini for his and Italy's support to Turkey's EU negotiation process.
ANSAMED aims to facilitate the exchange of news between 22 countries in the Mediterranean basin.
ANSAMED, centered in Naples, aims to offer at least 100 news about Mediterranean countries in Italian and English a day.
Serving as a news agency, ANSAMED plans to also transmit news in Arabian in the near future.
(BRC-AÖ) 31.05.2004