KUNA and ASEAN Ambassadors explore new horizons for media partnership and cultural exchange
The Acting Director-General of the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), Mohammed Al-Manaei, met on Monday with the ambassadors of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) accredited to Kuwait to discuss ways to strengthen media cooperation and open new avenues for professional and training partnerships between the two sides.
During the meeting, held at KUNA’s headquarters, Al-Manaei affirmed that Kuwait places great importance on ASEAN’s pivotal role as one of the most influential regional organizations in the fields of politics, economy, and culture, as well as being a leading emerging economic bloc.
He highlighted that Kuwait’s accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia two years ago reflects its deep commitment to strengthening its comprehensive strategic partnership with ASEAN member states.
Al-Manaei noted that KUNA aspires to serve as a key media platform supporting this partnership, helping to raise awareness of its significance for future generations. He emphasized the agency’s readiness to build bridges of knowledge and communication that foster cooperation across various media domains.
He pointed out that KUNA enjoys active bilateral ties with several ASEAN news agencies, including Indonesia’s Antara, Malaysia’s Bernama, and Vietnam’s VNA, noting that these relationships have yielded fruitful collaboration in news exchange, media visits, and professional training programs.
Al-Manaei expressed KUNA’s ambition to broaden cooperation to include all ASEAN member states through enhanced news sharing, joint initiatives, and training exchanges — efforts that he said would “promote positive communication between peoples and strengthen cultural and human understanding.”
For their part, the ASEAN ambassadors commended KUNA’s professional role in addressing regional and international issues and in advancing mutual cultural understanding. They expressed enthusiasm for deepening media collaboration by establishing strategic partnerships that reinforce the growing ties between Kuwait and ASEAN countries, both at the governmental and societal levels.
The ambassadors also underscored the importance of sustained dialogue and the organization of joint media events to highlight the expanding areas of economic, cultural, and tourism cooperation between Kuwait and ASEAN member states, while expanding cooperation between KUNA and national news agencies across the region.
The meeting was attended by ASEAN ambassadors of Indonesia, Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia, Philippines, Myanmar; Second Secretary of Brunei and Chargé d’Affaires of Thailand.
Representing KUNA were Deputy Director-General for Editorial Affairs Essam Al-Ghanim, Acting Editor-in-Chief Mohammed Al-Bahr, Director of Marketing and Public Relations Essam Al-Ruwaieh, and Director of the Director-General’s Office Lamia Al-Farsi.
