ANTARA elected OANA president

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesia`s national news agency, ANTARA, was Wednesday elected president of the Organization of Asia Pacific News Agencies (OANA) at the organization`s 13th general assembly taking place here from December 9 to 14, 2007.

The OANA general assembly is being attended by 22 delegations from OANA member agencies, including Bernama (Malaysia), Kyodo (Japan), Itar-Tass (Russia), Kuna (Kuwait) and Irna (Iran) as well as observers from the Middle East News Agency, AFP, AMAN, Pajhwok Afghan News and Algeria Press Service.

During the general assembly which was officially opened by Vice President Jusuf Kalla at his office on Tuesday, OANA also held its 29th executive board meeting and 23rd editorial and technical experts group meeting on Monday (Dec 10, 2007).

ANTARA News Agency President Director Ahmad Mukhlis Yusuf said Indonesia`s diplomacy in Asia and the Pacific would be strengthened through the non-political track with ANTARA as president of the Organization of Asia Pacific News Agencies (OANA).

He said ANTARA`s leadership in OANA which groups 39 news agencies in 33 countries, would open wider the chance for Indonesia to strengthen its diplomacy in Asia Pacific.

"Diplomacy in our national interest is not always conducted through inter-governmental lobbies. Non-governmental parties can also play a role in serving the national interest," he said.

In accordance with the aims declared at its founding in 1961, OANA has been fighting for the establishment of a new world information order in which information flow is no longer dominated by the western mass media.

Indonesia`s Vice President Jusuf Kalla said when opening OANA`s general asembly that news agencies and other media organizations need to cooperate with each other closely in order to help create positive perceptions on Asian countries.

"(Asian news agencies and media) need to build solid cooperation systems to create (positive) perceptions on Asian countries like Indonesia, India or Iran," the vice