The 43rd Conference of the General Assembly of the Federation of Arab News Agencies (FANA) wrapped up its meetings here on Wednesday with a host of recommendations and resolutions for promoting cooperation among the member agencies, and the Arab media in general. Abdullah bin Fahd Al-Hussain, President of the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), led the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's delegation to the meeting. Kuwait is hosting the FANA conference, 23-26 November, under patronage of Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah. According to KUNA, the final statement issued by the end of the last meeting of the conference comprises a number of agreements and MoUs for cooperation with regional agencies and international organizations. Participants in the conference agreed to enhance ties with international organizations through hosting specialists to supervise and address the training courses FANA organizes annually. The federation will also invite the UNESCO to contribute to the developing the Arab agencies and support FANA's training plans for improving staff performance. According to the statement, the assembly approved a MoU with the Organization of Asia-Pacific News Agencies (OANA) to be signed during a bilateral meeting in Manama in the first third of 2016. The MoU will be activated through joint training workshops, and exchange of news through OANA and FANA websites. FANA also agreed to sign a new agreement for coordination and cooperation with the European Alliance of News Agencies (EANA), during meetings of the International Council of News Agencies. London 7 December. The statement called for continuing contacts with OANA, in addition to concluding a code of conduct between both bodies. In the meantime, FANA agreed to organize a gathering for the Arab new agencies in Tunisia, invited by the Tunisian News Agency, to discuss their future role, amid rising impact of satellite channels and other means of communication. The final statement noted that FANA must take part in all the meetings and activities organized by the Arab League media and communication department. Meanwhile, FANA urged the member news agencies to play an effective role in coverage of terrorist incidents, considering public interests of the Arab peoples and countries. It also called them to benefit from the Arab media strategy to combat terrorism approved by 46th session of the Arab Ministers of Information Council. Referring to Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz Award for Security Research, the statement urged the Arab agencies to publish news, article and reports on the necessity of boosting the Arab national security. It also underlined the momentousness of enhancing contacts between FANA Secretariat and that of the Council of the Arab Interior Ministers Council. Chiefs of the Bahrain News Agency (BNA) and the Oman News Agency (ONA) were elected deputies of FANA President, Board Chairman and Director General of Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) Sheikh Mubarak Al-Duaij Al-Ibrahim Al-Sabah. The Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the Tunisian News Agency, Jordan News Agency (Petra) and Lebanon's National News Agency (NNA) were elected members in the FANA secretariat.
