KUNA chief editor seeks ways to boost media co-op with NATO, EU, Belgium

Al-Ali proposes exchange visits of KUNA journalists to EU and European journalists to Kuwait

BRUSSELS, Nov 24, (KUNA): The Deputy Director General and Editorin-Chief of Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), Saad Al-Ali, concluded on Friday a 3-day visit to the Belgian capital after discussions with top media officials of NATO, the European Union and Belgium.

In his meeting with NATO spokesperson, Oana Lungescu, KUNA chief editor underlined the importance of boosting media cooperation between the Alliance and KUNA through visits by KUNA journalists to NATO headquarter in Brussels.

He noted that after the inauguration of the NATO regional centre in Kuwait in 2017, the pubic and media interest in Kuwait have grown to learn more about the 29-member NATO.

Al Ali also recalled that during his visit to Kuwait in 2016, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg visited the KUNA headquarters and exchanged views with editors and journalists of the agency.

Lungescu warmly welcomed the proposal of Saad Al-Ali and said she will work on it to invite KUNA journalists to NATO in the near future.

She also expressed her appreciation of KUNA’s coverage of NATO affairs.

In his meeting with the chief European Commission spokesperson, Margaritis Schinas, Saad Al-Ali called for stronger media cooperation, and he proposed exchange visits of KUNA journalists to EU and European journalists to Kuwait.

He noted that the opening of the EU mission in Kuwait soon, will arouse more interest of Kuwaiti public and the media in EU affairs.

Schinas supported the idea and said that the European Commission will look into the possibility of inviting KUNA journalists to Brussels to learn more about the 28-member European bloc.

The KUNA chief editor also met Preben Aamann the spokesperson of the President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, as well as the spokesperson for the European Parliament Jaume Duch Guillot and discussed ways to strengthen media cooperation between the two EU institutions and KUNA.

The two EU media officials expressed their readiness to arrange visits by KUNA journalists to learn at first hand how the European Council and the European Parliament functions.

They also underlined the importance of the upcoming European elections in May 2019 for the media in Europe and worldwide.

From left: Saad Al-Ali meeting with Oana Lungescu, Preben Aamann and Jaume Duch Guillot.

Further, Al-Ali met with the spokesman of the Belgian foreign ministry Matthieu Branders and exchanged views to expand media cooperation between KUNA and Belgium.

Moreover, Ali visited a number of leading Belgian newspapers and international media bodies based in Brussels.

During his visit, he also spoke in a seminar on the topic “Digital Diplomacy in the Age of Disinformation.”