Bernama, TASS sign MoU to strengthen news cooperation

MOSCOW: The Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) and Russian News Agency TASS on Monday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to strengthen cooperation in news and multimedia content exchange, professional expertise, and emerging technologies.

The MOU was signed by Bernama chief executive officer Datin Paduka Nur-ul Afida Kamaludin and TASS Director-General Andrey Kondrashov in conjunction with the 65th anniversary of the Organisation of Asia-Pacific News Agencies (OANA) here.

Also present was Bernama Editor-in-Chief Arul Rajoo Durar Raj.

Nur-ul Afida said the MoU reflected the shared commitment of both national news agencies to credible, accurate and responsible journalism amid a rapidly changing global media landscape.

"Today, news travels across borders within seconds. At the same time, misinformation and disinformation pose growing challenges to public trust. This makes the role of trusted news agencies more important than ever.

"Through this partnership, Bernama and TASS can strengthen the exchange of news and multimedia content, share professional expertise, and explore new opportunities in areas such as digital journalism, multimedia storytelling and emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence," she said when commenting on the MoU.

She said that while technology continued to transform how news was produced and consumed, our fundamental values must remain unchanged, namely accuracy, verification, fairness, and integrity.

Nur-ul Afida also expressed confidence that stronger media cooperation would contribute to greater understanding between the peoples of Malaysia and Russia, giving audiences broader and more balanced perspectives on both countries and the region.

"I am confident that this MoU will open the way for meaningful and sustainable cooperation between Bernama and TASS," she added.

Earlier, Nur-ul Afida and Arul Rajoo attended the OANA Photo Exhibition Ceremony, "History and Development: 65 Years of Information Exchange in the Asia-Pacific Region", which was officiated by Kondrashov.

Both also joined a plenary session dedicated to the 65th anniversary of OANA.

On Sept 20, Nur-ul Afida and Arul Rajoo attended the 58th edition of the OANA Executive Board Meeting (EBM) and Technical Committee, as Bernama is an Executive Board member of OANA.

OANA, which was established in 1961 on the initiative of Unesco (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) to facilitate direct and free news exchange among news agencies in a region that accounts for over half of the world's population, comprises 41 member news agencies from 35 countries.