Forum for Saarc news agencies suggested
A South Asian regional seminar yesterday agreed to put forward a 9-point recommendation to Saarc Secretariat for establishing a forum of news agencies of the region for better coordination of news and information flow.
The agreement was reached after a discussion at a three-day seminar on “Cooperation among the news agencies of Saarc” at Paro, a tiny hilly town 60km from the Bhutanese capital Thimphu.
Representatives from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Nepal and Bhutan participated in the discussion organised by Saarc Information Centre (SIC).
Saarc Director Dhan Bahadur Oli presided over the function where SIC Director Laxmi Bilas Koirala and SIC Senior Programme Manager Pankaj Pandey also spoke.
On developing a website of South Asian news agencies, the seminar recommended that the forum in collaboration with the SIC shall create a dynamic web portal for the exchange of news and other information among the member states.
The forum should explore the possibility of establishing a permanent Saarc or South Asia News Agency, it recommended, adding that the forum should meet at least once a year.
The seminar also recommended that the forum should explore the possibility of establishing a Saarc Media Development Fund and SIC should provide secretarial services and work as facilitator for the forum.
Taking part in the discussion, BSS City Editor Ajit Kumar Sarkar proposed for setting up Saarc news agencies and nomination of a focal point by the Saarc member states from their national news agencies.
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