The opening ceremony, taking place at luxurious "Royale Ghulan" hotel, was attended by tens of members of the two national news agencies` delegations and influential media figures.
Among them were ANTARA`s Editor-in-Chief Saiful Hadi, Head of ANTARA`s supervisory board Hendri Subiakto, Bernama`s Chairman Dato` Abdul Rahman Sulaiman and Bernama`s General Manager Dato` Hasnul Hasan.
The event was also participated in by the Indonesian embassy`s deputy chief of mission Mulya Wirana, former chief of the Indonesian Journalists Association (PWI) Sofyan Lubis and Secretary General of the Malaysian Ministry for Information, Communication and Culture Dato` Sri Kamaruddin Siarap.
Yatim said the first summit meeting of Malaysia and Indonesia`s news agencies was the follow up of the two countries` joint-commission for communication meeting in Kuala Lumpur in May 2010.
The three-day summit meeting was expected to strengthen the foundation of the two countries` relations through media diplomacy and provide the two parties with sustainable and concrete cooperations.
"The never-ending diplomacy is the people-to-people relations. Bernama and ANTARA are the parties that will continue the struggle (of creating the everlasting diplomacy-eds.)," Rais Yatim said.
At the opening ceremony, Dr.Rais Yatim and Mulya Wirana whose coming was on the behalf of Indonesian Ambassador to Malaysia Da`i Bachtiar also launched a news magazine, called "Sinergi" (Synergy).
The magazine, jointly published by ANTARA and Bernama for four issues in a year, highlighted insightful news and articles about various issues relating to the two countries` relationship.
About 70 members of ANTARA and Bernama`s delegations would continue their talks about concrete action programs at a tourist resort in Melaka (Malacca) on Sunday and Monday.
Among the action programs that would be focused at the summit were exchanging journalists and photo journalists, taking photos of Kalimantan by Malaysian and Indonesian photo journalists, sustainable publication of "Sinergi" magazine and convening second summit meeting of ANTARA and Bernama in Indonesia.(*)
(T.R013/HAJM)
Editor: Ruslan Burhani
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
