ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Bulgaria took a step to expand media cooperation as the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) and the Bulgarian News Agency signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote news exchange and closer institutional ties.

The agreement aims to ensure the flow of information between the two countries and help readers gain direct access to credible official news from both sides.

Managing Director APP Muhammad Asim Khichi and Bulgarian national news agency, known as BTA [Bulgarian Telegraph Agency], Kiril Valchev inked the MoU, while Information Secretary Ashfaq Khalil and Ambassador of Bulgaria Irena Gancheva witnessed the signing.

The agreement provides a framework for cooperation between the two national news agencies. Under the MoU, APP and BTA will regularly share news content, photographs, and institutional support.

Speaking on the occasion as chief guest, Information Secretary Ashfaq Khalil said the MoU between APP and BTA marked an important point in bilateral ties, particularly in the media sector. He hoped the MoU would provide a clear framework for cooperation between the two state news agencies, expressing confidence that the agreement would open further avenues for collaboration and strengthen ties between Pakistan and Bulgaria.

APP MD Asim Khichi said the Pakistan government supported initiatives that promoted media cooperation with other countries. He appreciated Bulgaria’s role in strengthening ties between the two agencies and expressed hope that the agreement would lead to practical outcome in news sharing and institutional coordination.

He noted that APP and BTA shared a common purpose of providing accurate and timely information to their readers. Through this MoU, he added, both agencies would be able to share resources, experience, and content to broaden their coverage.

Director General BTA Kiril Valchev said the signing of the MoU was a practical step that turned commitments into action. Referring to the idea that words gain meaning through action, he said the agreement would give substance to cooperation by ensuring daily news exchange between the two agencies.

Mr Valchev said under the MoU, BTA and APP would provide space on their platforms for news from each other. He said BTA would publish APP stories from Pakistan in a dedicated section, while APP would carry BTA news related to Bulgaria. He added that this arrangement would help readers, businesses, tourists, and researchers in both countries who seek reliable information. He recalled that the agreement was the second of its kind between APP and BTA since Pakistan and Bulgaria marked 60 years of diplomatic relations last year. He said the first cooperation agreement between the two agencies was signed in March 1967, two years after the establishment of BTA. He noted that BTA archives still preserved records of that early cooperation.

He said BTA currently had cooperation agreements with 50 national news agencies, with a significant number from Asia.

Bulgarian Ambassador Irena Gancheva said the signing of the MoU was a meaningful moment that brought the two countries closer through dialogue and cooperation. She said credible and professional media had an important role in the current global environment, where information moves quickly across borders. She said state news agencies carried a major responsibility at a time when societies faced challenges related to misinformation and unverified content.

The ambassador said media cooperation could also support people-to-people contact and highlight opportunities in areas such as culture, education, economy, science, and tourism. She noted that the signing took place during an important period, as Pakistan and Bulgaria celebrated six decades of diplomatic relations last year.

The ceremony concluded with both sides expressing commitment to the agreement and confidence that structured news exchange would improve awareness and understanding between the people of Pakistan and Bulgaria.

Senior officials from Pakistan’s information, veteran journalists, diplomats, and representatives from both news agencies attended the event.

Published in Dawn, January 23rd, 2026