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AzerNEWS Staff

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President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev addressed the participants of CICA Media Forum held today in Baku.

AzerNEWS presents the address:

"Dear Forum participants!

I extend my heartfelt greetings and congratulations to you on the launch of the CICA Media Forum in the city of Baku. Welcome to Azerbaijan!

Covering 90% of the Asian continent and bringing together 28 member states, the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia is regarded as a significant and unique dialogue platform that contributes to peace, security and stability in the region and helps to strengthen mutual trust and cooperation among member countries to promote the sustainable development. Chairing this organization over recent two years, Azerbaijan has spared no effort to enhance CICA’s institutional capacities, broad practical joint activities and further increase the role of this organization in the system of international relations while demonstrating determination and consistency in advancing mutual confidence building measures.

The high-level meetings held in Baku, together with various events organized among think tanks, experts, business communities and youth during our presidency in CICA, have further fostered Azerbaijan’s position as a powerhouse for dialogue and multilateral collaboration by contributing to the intensification of mutual ties within the organization.

The organization of the first-ever Media Forum in Baku, at the initiative of Azerbaijan in the framework of CICA as it will take place on the eve of CICA Summit, has a particular significance to draw greater attention to the activities we run jointly with member states within our chairmanship and to the important role of organization played on the international stage.

Today’s Forum on “Building Trust through Media in a Polarized World” is a valuable opportunity to highlight that the area of information and communication is an important integral part in confidence building. The media should be seen not only as a broad platform for sharing information, but also as an important instrument of public diplomacy, mutual understanding, and regional cooperation.

Azerbaijan pays a special attention to the development of media and communication area within CICA, the expansion of bilateral and multilateral cooperation between member states in the media sphere, and the improvement of mechanisms for information exchange. The partnership ties established in recent years among various media institutions, including the participation of media representatives from CICA member states at the international media events hosted by Azerbaijan, have paved the way for practical cooperation in this area.

Currently, the world is going through a complicated period characterized by rapidly changing geopolitical realities, growing security challenges, and profound transformations in the media landscape. In the digital era, where different interests and visions clash, any information disseminated has the potential to impact relations between societies and countries.

The media, which reports on ongoing developments and delivers news to society, is a force that can impact the formation of public opinion, mutual trust, and understanding, but also dialogue and cooperation opportunities. The widespread dissemination of disinformation, and the production of fake information and materials using AI technologies have a direct influence on public trust. In particular, media accountability and assumed responsibility become increasingly important at a time when the role of social media and digital platforms is rapidly expanding. All of these place tougher requirements on media institutions in terms of professionalism and impartiality, while making it necessary to formulate a shared sense of responsibility in the information space.

Reliable information must become not only a benchmark of quality in professional journalism, but also in the entire information space. In this regard, it is of paramount importance to strengthen cooperation among public institutions, media organizations, digital platforms, journalists, scholars, and civil society. Increasing media literacy and responsible use of new technologies are also among essential terms to set up sustainable foundations for trust.

In this regard, the CICA Media Forum is a memorable event to enrich media collaboration with new contents and areas. I am confident that the current Forum held with the participation of prestigious media representatives of friendly countries, will contribute to the exchange of experience in the development of media interaction, the implementation of joint projects, and the establishment of fair, effective and flexible communication in the CICA region.

I wish success and productive discussions at the Forum."