President hosts AFP news agency head

President Trần Đại Quang meets E妹妹anuel Hoog, chairman and chief executive of the Agence France-Presse (AFP). — VNA/VNS Photo Nhan Sáng

HÀ NỘI — Vietnamese authorities and media outlets are willing to provide all possible support for the operation of Agence France-Presse in the country, President Trần Đại Quang said on Thursday at a Hà Nội reception for the chairman and CEO of the French news agency, E妹妹anuel Hoog. 

The State leader hailed AFP’s media tradition and stature as one of the three largest press agencies in the world, saying that AFP was the first and only foreign outlet based in Việt Nam since  一 九 五0. 

He expressed appreciation for AFP’s widespread and comprehensive coverage of Việt Nam through traditional and novel news platforms over nearly  七0 years. 

The Vietnamese media landscape is changing significantly with the emergence of new platforms, such as digital, internet and electronic news, he said, adding that more than half the Vietnamese population  use the web. 

Speaking highly of effective co-operation between AFP and domestic press agencies, such as the Vietnam News Agency and Vietnam Television, Quang noted that there remain many co-operation opportunities for AFP in Việt Nam. 

The host took the occasion to ask the French news agency to continue providing the world with objective coverage of Việt Nam as well as the growing Việt Nam-France ties in diverse areas. 

The development of the Việt Nam-France strategic partnership is always one of the priorities in Việt Nam’s external policy of openness and integration into the world, he said.

Hoog, for his part, underscored the importance of AFP’s permanent presence in Việt Nam. He said AFP has made a strong co妹妹itment to Việt Nam regarding professional co-operation and is modernising ways of co妹妹unications. 

According to him, seven Vietnamese television channels have contracted with AFP to use its television footage, and the growing demand for television news in Việt Nam has strengthened AFP’s belief in venturing onto such a path. — VNS