ROMANIAN AMBASSADOR TO BIH DANIEL BANU VISITED ONASA AGENCY
SARAJEVO, July 21 (ONASA) – General Manager of the Independent News Agency ONASA Elvira Begovic received today in the head office in Sarajevo, Romanian Ambassador to BiH Daniel Banu, and briefed him on the work of the Agency.
General Manager Begovic said that the mission of the Agency is continued contribution to the development of true, independent and professional information in advanced, European-oriented, multi-ethnic and multicultural BiH, aimed at expansion of its network abroad.
Ambassador Banu said that the media plays an important role in a democratic society, assessing it as “a machine for informing the citizens.”
“TV and print media, must provide the accurate information in a democratic society. That is why I think the job of journalists is very important,” Ambassador Banu said.
Speaking of the countries in transition, he recalled that his country after the revolution in 1989, has made many positive developments when it comes to media in Romania.
“Today we have, in addition to state media, quite a large number of private television stations and newspapers, which play an important role in the development of Romanian society. We’re talking about a society that is based on information, so the media informs the world about developments in Romania, which recently became a member of the European Union (EU) and NATO”, the Ambassador said.
Ambassador Banu said that although Romania became EU member in 2007, the process of integration is not yet completed, because Romania “consolidates its role in the EU, and its place in the EU institutions”
He said, currently there are 30 information centers in Romania, called “Europe Direct”, whose role is to inform citizens about developments in the EU.
Assessing the Agency ONASA as the best example of high quality information in BiH, Ambassador Banu said that the agency ONASA through its seventeen year of existence, has confirmed that Agency, all that time was providing the accurate and timely information, and that the work performed by ONASA is important for local government and the state institutions, as well as for the common man, especially in this election period.
He recalled that it is important BiH media to reflect, in the best way, the platform and programs of political parties and leaders and to bring BiH closer to NATO and the EU.
During the visit, Ambassador of Romania to BiH, toured the business premises of the Agency and spoke with employees.
“I’m glad I saw that employees are happy to work in the ONASA Agency. I could see the pleasure on their faces. This is a very good indicator of the quality providing of information to clients in BiH, the region and countries like the U.S.”, the Ambassador of Romania to BiH Daniel Banu said. (the end)