A framework of cooperation among the news agencies in the SAARC countries stressed on the need for establishing a common forum of news agencies for better coordination to exchange the news and information in the region.

A three-day workshop held in Paro, Bhutan, and attended by senior officials of the national news agencies and government media houses has decided to establish a common forum to foster collaborative, institutional arrangement and other news exchange mechanisms among the news agencies in the region, according to RSS.

The workshop organised by the SAARC Information Center also approved a nine-point recommendation with a view to exchanging qualitative and authentic information in the region.

The forum will be utilised for the coordination to disseminate news and information. The forum would meet at least once a year. The forum in collaboration with SAARC Information Center would a news portal for the exchange of the news and other information among the member states, it is agreed.

Representatives from the SAARC countries except from Maldives, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan had attended the meeting.

Speaking briefly to RSS, Director of the Center, Laxmi Bilas Koirala expressed his confidence that the proposal would be implemented adding that the Center would play a crucial role to initiate and implement the programmes.

Similarly, Director of the SAARC Secretariat and Spokesperson Dhan Bahadur Oli said the forum could be developed as SAARC News Agency in the future. nepalnews.com