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ISLAMABAD, Jan 22 (APP):Pakistan and Bulgaria took a step to expand media cooperation as the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) and the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote news exchange and closer institutional ties.
The agreement aims to ensure the flow of information between the two countries and help readers gain direct access to credible official news from both sides.
Managing Director APP Muhammad Asim Khichi and Director General of BTA Kiril Valchev inked the MoU, while Secretary Information and Broadcasting Ashfaq Khalil and Ambassador of Bulgaria Irena Gancheva witnessed the signing.
The agreement provides a framework for cooperation between the two national news agencies. Under the MoU, APP and BTA will regularly share news content, photographs, and institutional support.
The ceremony began with the recitation of the Holy Quran, followed by the screening of a video highlighting APP’s role in disseminating news.
Speaking on the occasion as chief guest, Information Secretary Ashfaq Khalil said Pakistan and Bulgaria enjoy friendly relations built on mutual respect and cooperation. He said the MoU between APP and BTA marked an important point in bilateral ties, particularly in the media sector.
He said the MoU would provide a clear framework for cooperation between the two state news agencies.
He expressed confidence that the agreement would open further avenues for collaboration and strengthen ties between Pakistan and Bulgaria.
MD APP Asim Khichi welcomed the Bulgarian guests and said the signing of MoU marked a new phase in media cooperation between Pakistan and Bulgaria and reflected the growing engagement between the two countries.
He noted that APP and BTA share a common purpose of providing accurate and timely information to their readers. Through this MoU, he added, both agencies would be able to share resources, experience, and content to broaden their coverage.
Khichi said the government of Pakistan supported initiatives that promote media cooperation with other countries. He appreciated Bulgaria’s role in strengthening ties between the two agencies and expressed hope that the agreement would lead to practical outcomes in news sharing and institutional coordination.
He also assured the Bulgarian side of APP’s full cooperation and said the presence of senior Bulgarian officials at the event reflected the importance both countries attach to their bilateral relations.
Director General BTA Kiril Valchev, in his address, said the signing of the MoU was a practical step that turned commitments into action. Referring to the idea that words gain meaning through action, he said the agreement would give substance to cooperation by ensuring daily news exchange between the two agencies.
Valchev said that under the MoU, BTA and APP would provide space on their platforms for news from each other. He said BTA would publish APP stories from Pakistan in a dedicated section, while APP would carry BTA news related to Bulgaria.
He added that this arrangement would help readers, businesses, tourists, and researchers in both countries who seek reliable information.
He recalled that the agreement was the second of its kind between APP and BTA since Pakistan and Bulgaria marked 60 years of diplomatic relations last year. He said the first cooperation agreement between the two agencies was signed in March 1967, two years after the establishment of BTA. He noted that BTA archives still preserved records of that early cooperation.
Valchev said BTA currently has cooperation agreements with 50 national news agencies, with a significant number from Asia. He said APP and BTA have several similarities, including their establishment after the independence of their modern states.
Bulgarian Ambassador Irena Gancheva said the signing of the MoU was a meaningful moment that brought the two countries closer through dialogue and cooperation. She said credible and professional media had an important role in the current global environment, where information moves quickly across borders.
She said state news agencies carry a major responsibility at a time when societies face challenges related to misinformation and unverified content.
The agreement between BTA and APP went beyond a formal arrangement and represented a step toward closer cooperation through the exchange of reliable information and professional standards, she added.
The ambassador said media cooperation could also support people-to-people contact and highlight opportunities in areas such as culture, education, economy, science, and tourism.
She noted that the signing took place during an important period, as Pakistan and Bulgaria celebrated six decades of diplomatic relations last year. She said the two countries had developed relations based on respect and cooperation over the years.
The ceremony concluded with both sides expressing commitment to the agreement and confidence that structured news exchange would improve awareness and understanding between the people of Pakistan and Bulgaria.
Senior officials from Pakistan’s information, veteran journalists, diplomats, and representatives from both news agencies attended the event.