MONROVIA, October 21 (LINA) - Participants at the first Forum of Atlantic and Sub-Saharan African news agencies organized by Morocco's News Agency (MAP) in Casablanca have organized the Atlantic Federation of African News Agencies (FAAPA).

The announcement was made on the sidelines of the forum which kicked off a day before with the participation of managing directors of several news agencies in the region, in addition to Moroccan and African communication experts and distinguished figures.

FAAPA aims to lay the bases for a strategic partnership and develop professional relations between news agencies in member countries, share information and multimedia products, ensure free circulation of information and collect, process and spread any piece of news concerning these countries.

It will also organize training sessions and seminars on issues of shared interest, promote fruitful cooperation in all areas, preserve shared interests of the body member states and ameliorate the sharing of expertise and know-how, in addition to coordination and consultations in regional and international forums.

At the forum, MAP managing director Khalil Hachimi Idrissi was unanimously elected president of the executive council, Barry Oumou Valentine Claudine (Côte d’Ivoire) was chosen as first vice-president and Anasth Wilfrid Mbossa (Congo) as second vice-president.

Mathias Leandre Atignon (Benin), Yarba Ould Sghair (Mauritania) and Jay Nagbe Sloh (Liberia) were elected members of the body, while its secretariat was entrusted to Mohamed Anis (Morocco).

The forum, held on the theme "African News Agencies in the Era of Multimedia: What Future", was intended to provide a platform for exchange and reflection on the future of African news agencies and their role amidst changes on the media scene and within the framework of globalization and the new era of multimedia.

LINA PTK