Tehran, IRNA – Managing Director of the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) Ali Naderi is delivering a speech to the 18th meeting of Organization of Asia-Pacific News Agencies (OANA) General Assembly which started work here on Monday.

Before Naderi’s speech, Iran’s Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Mohammad Mehdi Esmaili addressed the meeting.

Also, a senior media official from the South Korean News Agency of Yonhap, Kim Hyeon-jun, gave a speech at the OANA meeting.

IRNA, which was nominated for OANA presidency during the 17th general assembly meeting, will take over the Agencies as of this year.

Iran, as a long-standing member of OANA, was the rotating president of the body from 1997 to 2000.

The organization covers two-thirds of the world's population and now has 44 members from 35 countries in Asia and Oceania.

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