Jakarta (ANTARA) - Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform (PAN-RB) Minister Abdullah Azwar Anas has described his ministry's collaboration with the ANTARA News Agency as very important.
"The collaboration with ANTARA is important for the Ministry of PAN-RB," he said while receiving President Director of the ANTARA News Agency Akhmad Munir here on Wednesday.
During their meeting, they discussed the ministry's priority programs and the government's collaboration with the news agency for the dissemination of government work programs to the public.
Anas said that the ANTARA News Agency has been a partner since his stint as the district head of Banyuwangi, East Java.
"Going forward, the ANTARA News Agency is expected to become a media that unites, enlightens, and educates," he added.
Meanwhile, Munir, who was accompanied by ANTARA's East Java Bureau Chief Rachmat Hidayat noted that the cooperation with the PAN-RB Ministry has been long-standing.
"Mr. Anas and we have been very collaborative; at that time, (the collaboration focused) on how to build Banyuwangi as a new epicenter of tourism development in East Java," he said.
According to him, ANTARA helped the Banyuwangi district government turn the district into a superior tourist destination.
"Now, I am the president director (of ANTARA) and Mr. Anas is the PAN-RB Minister, this will further strengthen the collaboration between the ministry and ANTARA," he said.
Munir further said that ANTARA has an extensive network, and the news agency is fit to help the ministry in achieving its targets and programs.
"ANTARA has a very wide coverage and is very appropriate to be at the forefront for succeeding the programs at the PAN-RB Ministry," he stated.
During their visit to the ministry's office, Munir and Hidayat were also accompanied by ANTARA East Java Bureau's assistant manager, Fiqh Arfani, and commercial assistant manager, Abdul Malik Ibrahim.
