Azerbaijan's Shusha becomes media dialogue platform, journalist says

Shusha is no longer only Azerbaijan's cultural capital, but is also further strengthening its position as one of the influential platforms for global media dialogue, Ayaz Mirzayev, Chairman of the Azerbaijan Journalists Network Public Union, has stated.

He said the 4th Shusha Global Media Forum once again demonstrated that information security, the protection of truth and media diplomacy remain among the most pressing issues on the global agenda, Caliber.Az reports, citing local media.

According to him, the forum's theme — The Mission of the Media in Promoting Peace: Restoring Truth and Rebuilding Trust — was highly relevant in the current international environment.

"Against the backdrop of information wars taking place in the world today, the responsibility of the media is greater than ever. The remarks made by President Ilham Aliyev during the forum also covered these realities," Mirzayev noted.

He stressed that President Ilham Aliyev drew particular attention to Azerbaijan's commitment to achieving lasting peace in the region, the country's political determination in this direction, and the role of objective, fact-based journalism in combating disinformation.

Mirzayev further stated that the president's comprehensive and candid responses to questions allowed international media representatives to obtain information directly and hear Azerbaijan's position on a range of issues from the primary source.

"This is one of the forum's most important features in terms of transparency and open dialogue," he remarked.

According to Mirzayev, one of the central messages of the forum was that the media serves not only as an institution that reports on events but also as an important platform for fostering trust, countering disinformation and encouraging dialogue between peoples.

"The forum's main outcomes will be the expansion of international media cooperation, the creation of new partnerships among professional journalists, the strengthening of mutual trust in the information environment, and the formation of common approaches to the role of professional journalism in the age of artificial intelligence. Shusha is no longer only Azerbaijan's cultural capital, but is also further strengthening its position as one of the influential platforms for global media dialogue," he observed.

Mirzayev added that initiatives of this kind reinforce Azerbaijan's position as a reliable partner in the international information space and carry strategic significance for presenting the country's realities directly to the global media while advancing media diplomacy.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov