APP signs news exchange agreement with Romanian news agency

Lahore: Pakistan’s premier news agency in public sector Associated Press of Pakistan Corporation (APP) and Romania’s official news agency AGERPRESS, here Thursday signed a news cooperation agreement for the two way exchange of news.

Managing Director APP Masood Malik and Romanian Ambassador Emilian Ion signed the agreement at the Ministry of Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage.

Minister for Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage Senator Pervaiz Rashid and Secretary Information Syed Imran Gardezi were also present during the signing ceremony. Under the agreement the two news agencies would exchange  news, photos and video footages for onward dissemination to their respective subscribers.

Later talking to media, the Romania ambassador termed the signing of the agreement a good omen for the bilateral relations of the two countries. He said exchange of the news would help further strengthen the bilateral friendship. The media interaction will help promote greater understanding between the peoples of the two friendly countries, he added.

He said it was one step forward in the bilateral ties as it will help promote interaction by mutually beneficial cooperation in the field of media and exchange of delegations will also take place under the agreement.

The MD APP said that Romania was an important country and signing of agreement will help understand each other’s culture. He said that Pakistan was witnessing speedy progress and the agreement will open new avenues for mutual cooperation.

Later in an informal exchange of views with Secretary Information Imran Gardezi, the Romanian envoy said that Pakistan and Romania were strategic partners and Bucharest would do every thing to further strengthen this partnership.

He said that Romania has collaborated with Pakistan in building National Oil Refinery in Karachi and two Cement Plants at Kohat and Lasbella. There was scope to further increase the trade  volume between the two countries, he added.

The Secretary IB&NH hoped that the trade volume between the two countries would increase in the coming years and it should focus on non-traditional products. He stressed the need for cooperation between the electronic media of the two countries as well.