Hanoi VNA) – Vietnam Pictorial, a magazine published by theVietnam News Agency (VNA), should continue its efforts to promote the image ofa modern and dynamic Vietnam among international friends, VNA General DirectorNguyen Duc Loi said at a ceremony marking 65 years since the magazine issuedits first edition.

At the event held in Hanoi on October 15, Loi said that Vietnam Pictorial is aleading provider of external information services in Vietnam, and is the onlyprint press product of Vietnam to make its appearance in many countries in theregion and the world.

The magazine has been developed into a multimediacomplex with print and online editions as well as social network engagement, hesaid, adding it needs to take on a more modern approach to spread informationin a more effective and persuasive fashion.

According toEditor-In-Chief of Vietnam Pictorial Nguyen Thang, the magazine has printed 730editions since the first edition was launched on October 15, 1954, with morethan 50 million copies issued internationally.

At present, it comes in five periodical editions: the monthly print version inVietnamese, English, Spanish and Laotian with 24,000 copies sent to readers in150 countries and territories worldwide; and the online version in 10 languages- Vietnamese, French, Spanish, Chinese, Russian, Japanese, Laotian, English,Thai and Korean - with 15 million readers from 140 countries and territories.

The magazine also cooperates with its partners to publish Dep (Beauty) Magazineand the weekly Vietnam-Korea Times to provide information for the over100,000-strong Korean community in the country.

Vietnam Pictorial has been honoured for its contributions to promoting Vietnamabroad with the Independence Order, first, second and third class in 1994, 2004and 2009 from the Party and State.

The VNA is a government agency which functions as thestate news agency. It publishes and broadcasts official information anddocuments of the Party and State; provides information on the Party’sleadership and the State’s management; and collects and provides news throughvarious forms of press and multimedia for media agencies, the public andreaders at home and abroad.

The VNA operates under the consortiummodel with 15 news units for domestic and foreign services (consisting of five editorial departments, two source news centres andeight editorial offices), along with five news support centres, a publishinghouse, two printing companies, the VNA representative office in the south, theVNA representative office in the Central – Central Highlands region; andfunctional units to support the VNA’s Director General./.