Euronews highlights inaugural D-8 Media Forum hosted by Baku

European news giant Euronews has published an article highlighting Azerbaijan's deepening cooperation with the D-8 Economic Cooperation Organization and the D-8 Media Forum held in Baku. Caliber.Az reprints some excerpts from the piece.

Baku hosted the first-ever D-8 Media Forum, part of the ongoing D-8 Week in Azerbaijan. Since joining as a full member in March 2025, Azerbaijan has been deepening its cooperation with the Developing-8 Organisation for Economic Cooperation (D-8).

The inaugural D-8 Media Forum, which concluded in Baku on November 21, marked a continuation of the events of the D-8 Week in Azerbaijan. The D-8 is strengthening its partnership with Azerbaijan, which became a full member in March 2025.

Though smaller than groups such as the G20 or the OIC, the D-8 serves as a coordinated platform for major developing Muslim-majority nations in global economic discussions. The organisation includes Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Türkiye and now Azerbaijan. As a new member, Azerbaijan is working to integrate fully into the bloc, putting forward several initiatives, including plans for Transport Excellence and Energy and Climate Centres.

Creation of a Media Excellence Centre

The first D-8 Media Forum was expected to deliver significant outcomes, including the creation of a Media Excellence Centre and new strategies to counter disinformation and related threats. Around 150 delegates attended the event, among them 71 foreign representatives from member states and the D-8 Secretariat.

In President Ilham Aliyev’s address to forum participants, delivered on his behalf by the president's aide Hikmet Hajiyev, Aliyev stressed that “one of the primordial tasks of the D-8 Media Forum is to form a credible collaboration between media institutions of member countries to build a just, impartial, non-biased and responsible information space”.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, D-8 Secretary General Isiaka Abdulqadir Imam noted that this forum marks one of the first major D-8 events hosted by Azerbaijan since it joined the organisation in March.

He said the proposed D-8 Media Excellence Centre “will help strengthen member states’ collective voice in the global information space”.

The Secretary General also proposed creating a Broadcasting Association for D-8 countries. “This will bring together broadcasting outfit, including both radio and television, for the exchange of programmes and news items, and promote the understanding and cultural background of D-8”, he said. If approved, the association would operate under the umbrella of the Media Excellence Centre.

The D-8 countries together represent more than one billion people and several rapidly growing economies. Azerbaijan’s accession marks the first expansion of the organisation since it was established nearly thirty years ago.