Azernews.Az

By Fatima Hasanova

Baku has hosted the first meeting of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) member and observer countries' audiovisual media regulatory bodies, Azernews reports via Azertag.

The main objective of the meeting, which brought together representatives of the regulatory authorities of the OTS member states - Turkiye, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan as well as observer countries - Hungary and Turkmenistan, is to bolster the cooperation of Turkic-speaking states.

The meeting also discussed the concept, presented by Turkiye in connection with the establishment of the OTS member and observer states' audiovisual media regulatory authorities forum, and sign a declaration of intent on the establishment of the OTS member states' audiovisual media regulatory authorities.

Elmir Valizada, Head of the Digital Media Sector under the Presidential Administration, Omer Kocaman, Deputy Secretary-General of the OTS, Ahmad Ismayilov, Executive Director of the Media Development Agency of Azerbaijan, and Ismat Sattarov, Chairman of the Audiovisual Council, spoke at the inauguration.

Deputy Secretary-General of the OTS Omer Kocaman said that the meeting will serve to development of cooperation between the countries in this respect.

"Cooperation between our countries in this sphere is extremely important. The importance of audiovisual media is increasing. Cooperation in this field will help us to get closer to each other in other areas as well," he said.

Head of the Digital Media Sector of the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration Elmir Valizada said that this cooperation will serve to provide the public with accurate information about the events taking place in the Turkic nations. He also noted that Azerbaijan was one of the first countries to switch to digital broadcast in the region and therefore it already has experience in regulating the digital realm.

"The recently adopted law `On media' corresponds to the international practice and includes regulation in the audiovisual sphere, which is a part of media. Cooperation between Azerbaijan and Turkiye is developing in the field of media. The development of this cooperation between the member states of the OTS is also one of the main goals," Valizada said.

In his speech, Ahmad Ismayilov, Executive Director of the Media Development Agency of Azerbaijan, noted that the Azerbaijani media has entered a new stage of reforms in order to adapt to modern challenges and respond more flexibly.

Ismayilov underlined that, for the first time in the history of independent Azerbaijan, representatives of the Azerbaijani media honored their professional holiday on July 22 by hosting an international media forum in Shusha the country's cultural center.

He emphasized that, given the reality of our world, the integration of Azerbaijani media into the worldwide information sphere is becoming increasingly vital. A striking example of this is the creation of a joint media platform between Azerbaijan and Turkiye.

"The purpose of our joint media platform is to create a strategic media partnership to strengthen bilateral relations and cooperation between Azerbaijan and Turkiye in the field of media and communication. Our main activity in this regard is to bring the realities of our countries to the international media," he said.

He also mentioned the signing of an MoU with Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan on mutual understanding between mass media agencies.

"Within the framework of the Memoranda of Understanding, we signed with these brotherly republics, which are members of the Organization of Turkic States, the formation of mechanisms for bilateral cooperation aimed at the joint promotion and protection of national interests in the media space, the exchange of experiences, the establishment of interaction in the media sphere," Ismayilov concluded.

The Declaration of Intent on the creation of the forum of regulators on the audiovisual media of the OTS member and observer states was signed in Shusha on October 28. The forum will be held in Turkiye in 2023.

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