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Ahmadul Kobir, Malaysia: Malaysia’s national news agency Bernama and Russia’s TASS news agency have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen cooperation in news and multimedia content exchange, professional expertise and emerging technologies.
The agreement was signed on Monday in conjunction with the 65th anniversary of the Organisation of Asia-Pacific News Agencies (OANA).
Bernama Chief Executive Officer Datin Paduka Nur-ul Afida Kamaludin and TASS Director-General Andrey Kondrashov signed the MoU on behalf of their respective organisations. Bernama Editor-in-Chief Arul Rajoo Durar Raj was also present.
Commenting on the agreement, Nur-ul Afida said the MoU reflected the shared commitment of the two national news agencies to credible, accurate and responsible journalism amid a rapidly changing global media landscape.
She said news now travelled across borders within seconds, while misinformation and disinformation continued to pose growing challenges to public trust. “This makes the role of trusted news agencies more important than ever.”
Nur-ul Afida said the partnership would facilitate greater exchange of news and multimedia content between Bernama and TASS, while providing opportunities to share professional expertise and explore new areas of cooperation.
These areas include digital journalism, multimedia storytelling and emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence.
She stressed that while technology was transforming how news was produced and consumed, the fundamental principles of journalism must remain unchanged.
“Accuracy, verification, fairness and integrity must remain the foundation of news reporting,” she said.
The Bernama chief executive expressed confidence that closer cooperation between the two news agencies would also contribute to greater understanding between the peoples of Malaysia and Russia.
She said the partnership would provide audiences in both countries with broader perspectives on developments in Malaysia, Russia and the wider region.
“I am confident that this MoU will open the way for meaningful and sustainable cooperation between Bernama and TASS,” she said.
Earlier, Nur-ul Afida and Arul Rajoo attended an OANA photo exhibition titled “History and Development: 65 Years of Information Exchange in the Asia-Pacific Region”.
The exhibition was officiated by TASS Director-General Andrey Kondrashov.
They also participated in a plenary session organised as part of OANA’s 65th anniversary activities.
On September 20, Nur-ul Afida and Arul Rajoo attended the 58th OANA Executive Board Meeting and Technical Committee meeting, with Bernama participating as a member of the organisation’s Executive Board.
Established in 1961 on the initiative of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), OANA was created to facilitate the direct and free exchange of news among news agencies in the Asia-Pacific region.
The region accounts for more than half of the world’s population.
OANA currently comprises 41 member news agencies from 35 countries, providing a platform for cooperation and information exchange among news organisations across the Asia-Pacific region.