Hanoi, April 19, Elshan Shahbalayev, AZERTAC

Prime Minister of Vietnam Nguyen Xuan Phuc has received head delegates to the 44th Executive Board Meeting of the Organization of Asia-Pacific News Agencies (OANA), which wrapped up in Hanoi.

At the meeting with the delegation led by OANA President, AZERTAC`s Chairman of the Board Aslan Aslanov, the Vietnamese prime minister stressed the organization`s regional importance. He said OANA member agencies have a role to play in preventing the spread of fake news.

Aslan Aslanov thanked the Vietnamese prime minister, government and VNA for the excellent organization of the event and high hospitality. He highlighted the activities of OANA, saying that established under the aegis of UNESCO, the organization brings together leading news agencies of the Asian and Pacific countries. He said OANA is increasing its influence year by year, adding the organization attaches great importance to the values of journalism and reliability. Aslan Aslanov said close cooperation among the member news agencies allows the nations to familiarize with each other`s traditions, along with creating wide opportunities for increasing the world community`s awareness of economic, political and cultural developments happening in the Asian and Pacific countries.

Aslan Aslanov hailed relations between AZERTAC and VNA, and pointed the agencies` role in providing the people of Azerbaijan and Vietnam with reliable news.

Prime Minister of Vietnam Nguyen Xuan said his country places a great emphasis on its relations with Azerbaijan, and praised relations between the two countries. He underlined the possibility of opening a direct flight between Hanoi and Baku. The prime minister said many Vietnamese who received higher education in Azerbaijan now hold high state and government offices and contribute to the deepening of relations between the two countries.