St. Petersburg, June 20 (QNA) - The 19th General Assembly of the Organization of Asia-Pacific News Agencies (OANA) concluded today.

The session was hosted over two days in Saint Petersburg, Russia, and addressed several key media-related issues, most notably the enhancement of regional coordination and the fast-evolving challenges associated with artificial intelligence technologies.

The Qatar News Agency (QNA) participated in the session with a delegation led by HE Director-General of Qatar News Agency (QNA) Ahmed bin Saeed Al Rumaihi.

During the General Assembly meetings, a new Executive Committee was elected, along with the selection of the organization’s Vice Presidents and members of its technical and ethics committees.

Director General of the Russian news agency TASS Andrey Kondrashov was elected as the new President of OANA for a three-year term. First Deputy Director General of TASS Mikhail Gusman was chosen as the Secretary-General of the organization, with TASS assuming the presidency of OANA for the current cycle.

The newly elected Executive Council of the organization for the next three years includes the Qatar News Agency (QNA), the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), the former president of OANA, and the current president, TASS. Other members include Antara News (Indonesia), Anadolu Agency (Turkiye), AzerTac (Azerbaijan), Bernama (Malaysia), BNA (Bahrain), Vietnam News Agency, Xinhua (China), Yonhap (South Korea), and Kyodo (Japan).

As for the Vice Presidents, the following were elected: IRNA represented by Jaberi Ansari, Yonhap by Hwang Dae-il, AzerTac by Vugar Aliyev, Xinhua by Fu Hua, and Anadolu Agency by Serdar Karagoz.

The General Assembly also agreed to hold its 20th session in 2028 in the Republic of Azerbaijan, with AzerTac tasked with organizing and hosting the event.

The session addressed the theme of news agencies and the challenges of the modern world, with a working agenda covering four main topics: combating fake news, regulating the use of AI in media work, developing editorial policies during crises, and enhancing cultural exchange among Asia-Pacific peoples.

On the sidelines of the meetings, several cultural exhibitions were held, including one on culture and journalism through the lens of OANA, which featured rare photographs documenting Asian heritage. Another exhibition was organized in collaboration with China’s Xinhua News Agency and presented a photographic archive of prominent figures in the region’s history.

It is worth noting that the Organization of Asia-Pacific News Agencies (OANA) was established in 1961 with the goal of promoting the exchange of news and information among member-state agencies. Its membership includes some of the most prominent news agencies from Asia and the Pacific region. (QNA)