Forum participant: Real development to begin with city of Shusha

Turkish NTV channel's foreign relations and news department head Ahmet Yesiltepe has said that real development will begin with the city of Shusha.

"I am very happy to be in Shusha. Holding this prestigious event in Shusha, the cultural capital of Azerbaijan and the Turkic world is a significant event," Yesiltepe said in an interview with Report.

Yesiltepe noted that the day before, during a meeting with forum participants, President Ilham Aliyev conveyed a number of messages to the world.

"These lands belong to Azerbaijan, which, as a true owner, protects them and rebuilds them. A new culture will develop here. I think that real development will begin with the city of Shusha," he added.

The forum, organised by the instruction of President Ilham Aliyev as part of the Heydar Aliyev Year and in connection with the 148th anniversary of Azerbaijan's national press, has been attended by 150 foreign guests from about 50 countries, including state information agencies from 34 countries, 12 international organisations, and media structures.

Among the participants are 60 leaders and representatives of local media.

The forum aims to discuss global issues in the media and information-communication spheres. Prominent and influential leaders from the world's renowned media, along with experts, will discuss new tools in journalism and communication in the digital era, digital transformation, media management in the modern information environment, and the establishment of sustainable business models in the media industry. The discussions will also cover consumer trends in new media, media literacy, methods to combat disinformation and fake news, journalist safety, and other topics.

During the forum, an initiative for creating the media platform of the Non-Aligned Movement will also be proposed.

The city of Shusha, which has hosted numerous international events, is gathering leaders of leading global media, journalistic organisations, influential experts in the information and communication sphere, and renowned journalists for the first time in the history of independent Azerbaijan.