site.btaUPDATED BTA Director General Valchev Opens 30th General Assembly of ABNA-SE

Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) Director General Kiril Valchev Monday opened the 30th General Assembly of the Association of the Balkan News Agencies - Southeast Europe (ABNA-SE) in Burgas. The event mottoed "Together for TRUE News" is hosted by BTA.

Valchev thanked the Mayor of Burgas for the hospitality. He said that Saturday's storm in Burgas Region, which hit worst the town of Pomorie, would have made the headlines in the world news agencies if there had been victims. However, it is headline news for the Balkans, that is why it is important that the neighbouring Balkan countries exchange news directly among themselves, he said.

It is absurd to have to learn the results of elections in the Balkan countries from overseas news agencies, Valchev also said. The national news agencies of the Balkan countries have a huge responsibility to help their peoples know one another better - a knowledge which comes from a daily exchange of news.

"This cooperation should help us make our own narrative about life in the Balkans more visible," Valchev also said. He is confident that the Balkan new agencies meet the world standards and present facts without judgments and with clear sources. "Which is a guarantee that our narrative about the Balkans is honest," he said.

The honest narrative about the Balkans is that this is one of the world's best places to live, according to BTA's Director General. The message of this meeting in Burgas, a city of poetry and music, is that the Balkans are love. "We need to turn this love into co-existence and this is a huge responsibility for us," Valchev said.

Still, the Balkan countries also face challenges, he said. The news agencies know best that news is neither positive nor negative, true news is what the facts are. "It is our task to find a way to work better together for the true news," said Valchev.

The conference will discuss the registration of ABNA-SE as a legal entity in its own right.

BTA suggests that Bulgaria, as an EU Member State, should host the organization, which will facilitate the drawing up of joint projects. He explained that according to the draft Statutes, the future registered ABNA-SE will tap the best practices of the common European experience. The membership conditions will mirror those of the European Alliance of News Agencies, and the leadership will be modelled on the EU, with a council made up of the past, present and future Presidents, which will host the General Assembly.

BTA has already been working successfully with many news agencies. Based on agreements, BTA shares one news item every day with the news agencies of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece, Italy, Kosovo, Montenegro, the Republic of North Macedonia, and Romania. Valchev said that an agreement with Cyprus will be signed on Monday and talks are under way with Turkey and Croatia.

Joint training is also on the agenda.