The two parties` agreement on the six joint-projects was signed by ANTARA`s editor-in-chief Saiful Hadi, Head of ANTARA`s supervisory board Henri Subiakto, Bernama`s chairman Datuk Hasnul Hassan, and Bernama`s senior editor Zulkifli Salleh.
ANTARA and Bernama had pledged to ensure that the six projects could have been realized by this year as part of the follow up of the two countries` joint-commission for communication meeting last year.
Five other projects that ANTARA and Bernama agreed on at the three-day meeting were exchange of journalists, taking photos of Sabah, Serawak and Kalimantan, publishing four editions of "Sinergi" news magazine in a year, convening the ANTARA-Bernama`s second summit meeting in Indonesia, and publishing a book on Indonesia-Malaysia`s cultural similarities.
ANTARA`s editor-in-chief Saiful Hadi said the two parties were committed to realizing all of those approved projects.
"If these six points of cooperation can be realized this year, this is really a good achievement. Next year, we can do more joint-projects," he said.
Sharing Saiful Hadi`s strong belief and commitment, Bernama`s chairman, Datuk Hasnul Hassan, said the joint-projects that ANTARA and his news service had agreed were just the continuation of good cooperations that the two nations` news agencies had done for years.
"We are so committed to realizing those projects," he said.
The three-day summit was officially opened by Malaysian Minister for Information, Communication and Culture Dr.Rais Yatim in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday.
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 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.
The Indonesian delegation at the first summit meeting was represented by ANTARA people and a number of senior Indonesian journalists and the Indonesian Journalists Association (PWI)`s executive board members. (*)
Editor: Kunto Wibisono
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
