Venezuela And Bernama Can Cooperate In News Exchanges

FotoBERNAMA

Venezuela is keen to work with the Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) on exchanging news and media information.

Venezuelan Vice Minister for Asia, Middle East and Oceania, Xoan Noya who is on a one-day visit to Kuala Lumpur, has proposed that Bernama works with Venezuelan news agency, Agencia Venezolana de Noticias (AVN) and the satellite television network, The New Television Station of the South (teleSUR).

He said Bernama's extensive news network was valuable in helping to disseminate the latest news and correct information on the republic, especially in this region, and vice versa.

"Venezuela is a country that generates a lot of news all the time. However, those who are outside the country or continents may have not been well-informed on what is really going on.

"On many occasions the information about Venezuela is very much manipulated. Some images used to accompany news reports such as cops or places are not from Venezuela," he said during a visit to Wisma Bernama today.

Noya's five-member entourage was received by Bernama general manager Datuk Zulkefli Salleh.

They were later briefed by Zulkefli on the operations of the news agency.

Noya said he would assist in the proposal on the news exchange, and help reduce bureaucracy from the Venezuelan side.

"I hope this partnership can be materialised before the 17th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit," he said.

The triennial NAM Summit is scheduled to take place in Caracas in September, this year.

Meanwhile, Zukefli in welcoming the proposal said the initiative would help to strengthen ties and understanding between both countries especially at the people-to-people level.

"I hope this partnership will pave the way for bigger things in future," he said.

Also present at the one-hour meeting were Venezuelan Ambassador to Malaysia Manuel Guzman, Bernama Editor-in-Chief Datuk Zakaria Abdul Wahab and Deputy Editor-in-Chief, General News Service, Mokhtar Hussain.

On the latest United States's move to impose sanctions on Venezuela, Noya warned that it was a prelude to military intervention by the superpower.

He also slammed the US for trying to intervene in its internal affairs, stressing that only the people of Venezuela had the right to determine on the the direction of the country.

U.S. President Barack Obama this week imposed sanctions on Venezuela after declaring the republic a national threat.

-- BERNAMA