The fourth panel of the forum was dedicated to the topic of “Prospects for international cooperation of Azerbaijani media”.

The panel moderated by the Director of Policy Research and Publications of ADA University, Damjan Krnjevic Miskovic, included speakers such as the Chairman of the Board of the Azerbaijan State News Agency (AZERTAC), Aslan Aslanov, the Project Director of the Organization of Turkic States, Ersin Aydogan, the First Deputy Director of the Agency for Information and Communications under the Administration of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Dilshod Saidjanov, the Head of the Working Group on International Relations and Strategic Planning of the Media Development Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan (MEDIA), Rasim Bagirov, and the General Director of CBC TV, Vugar Khalilov.

The panel held discussions on prospects for international cooperation of Azerbaijani media, the Azerbaijan-Turkiye media platform, as well as the media partnership within the framework of the Organization of Turkic States.

Emphasizing the importance of the forum from the standpoint of discussing new trends in the media, the Chairman of the Board of AZERTAC, Aslan Aslanov, said that the media’s success in international cooperation depended on factors such as professionalism, adherence to journalistic traditions, application of new technologies and protection of the reputation of a reliable news source. "In the age of social media, the need for reliable news sources is constantly increasing," Aslanov said. "For this reason, media institutions, especially news agencies, prefer to work with partners who have experience in news production and are noted by the accuracy of their information. On the other hand, the trends of the modern era act as a factor enhancing the importance of international cooperation among the media."

Noting that the main directions of international cooperation in the field of media included the media exchange of information and mutually beneficial use of advanced practices, Aslan Aslanov said: “Such an approach enables media institutions to organize professional institutions and widely use tools such as conferences and seminars to analyze media problems. The concentration of media organizations from all over the world in such international institutions means the accumulation of great practical and theoretical knowledge. For this reason, it is important for Azerbaijani media outlets to be represented on international information institutions. I think that the international relations of the Azerbaijani media are now more active and extensive. I am sure that the reforms implemented in the field of the media and the existing innovations will contribute to further expanding the international cooperation among media outlets.”

Project Director of the Organization of Turkic States Ersin Aydogan spoke about the institution’s activities. He said that the Organization of Turkic States had been acting as a common platform between Turkic states after the 44-day war, and this was enhancing its importance in the context of modern geopolitical realities. Emphasizing the importance of preventing the spread of fake news, the Project Director said, “It is necessary to support the media more vigorously in the fight against disinformation. For this reason, increasing attention to the activities of media institutions in the conditions of mutual cooperation now plays a more important role.”

The First Deputy Director of the Agency for Information and Communications under the Administration of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Dilshod Saidjanov, spoke about cooperation between Turkic-speaking countries. He said, “During the government of great leader Heydar Aliyev and President Ilham Aliyev, a strong media army has been created in Azerbaijan. During the Patriotic War, President Ilham Aliyev's communication of accurate information to the world through international media played an exceptional role in Azerbaijan's victory in the information war. His statements and interviews were widely circulated in international media and on social networks. This information was published everywhere. The public was also watching these processes. This is a great achievement. Our national information agency UZA closely cooperates with AZERTAC. I believe that this will make an important contribution to the further strengthening of relations between our nations.”

The Head of the Working Group on International Relations and Strategic Planning of the Media Development Agency, Rasim Bagirov said in his remarks that the establishment of cooperation in the field of media was a priority issue for Azerbaijan. He emphasized that cooperation in the field of media played an important role in international relations.

The General Director of CBC TV, Vugar Khalilov, pointed out in his remarks that the Azerbaijani media demonstrated professionalism during the second Karabakh war. He said, “This professionalism can be an example for anyone. Other media may also benefit from this experience. The Azerbaijani media did not publish hateful articles during the war or show hostility towards the neighboring people, and only conveyed the truth to the international community.”

The International Media Forum has completed its work.