Media as a space of trust and solidarity

In the capital of Azerbaijan, the first media forum of the Organization for Economic Cooperation of eight developing countries (D-8) was held on the topic "Promoting dialogue, cooperation and regional solidarity."

The event was organized by the Media Development Agency (MEDİA) and became an important event both for the region and for the entire media sphere of the participating countries.

The forum gathered about 150 guests, including 71 representatives from eight countries and the D-8 Secretariat - heads of relevant departments, leading media companies, experts and communications specialists. The program included two panel discussions: "Responsible Journalism and Digital Innovations" and "Strategic Communication and Crisis Management," as well as a practical workshop "Media Ethics in the Digital World: Technologies, Trends and Narratives."

During the event, participants discussed issues of improving regional and international information exchange, strengthening cooperation in the media sphere, developing joint mechanisms to counter disinformation, as well as implementing projects in the field of digital media and exchanging experiences.

Message from the President of Azerbaijan

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev sent an address to the forum participants, which was read by the Presidential aide Hikmet Hajiyev. The message emphasized that holding the first D-8 media forum in Baku is a symbolic step reflecting Azerbaijan's growing international authority and its active participation in the organization's work.

The head of state reminded that Azerbaijan was unanimously admitted to D-8 just a year ago and became the first new member in the nearly 30-year history of the association. According to Ilham Aliyev, this was a manifestation of trust and solidarity from partners, as well as recognition of the country's role in energy, transport, communication and humanitarian cooperation.

The President noted that the media environment is rapidly transforming, and the scale of disinformation, hybrid threats, deepfakes and AI abuses is growing:

"These factors, in addition to seriously affecting the image and internal life of countries, strike at international stability as a whole and undermine trust between states. Therefore, one of the main tasks of the D-8 media forum is to form reliable cooperation between the media structures of member countries to create a truthful, impartial, objective and responsible information environment."

The head of our state emphasized that Azerbaijan is actively modernizing its national media strategy, increasing the professionalism of journalists and promoting international initiatives in the field of media literacy:

"Today's forum is a new platform for cooperation, creating favorable opportunities for mutual exchange of experience between media structures of friendly countries. I am confident that the ideas, proposals and joint project initiatives voiced here will play an important role in the information policy of D-8 countries in the future."

Media Excellence Center

As part of the forum, the D-8 Media Excellence Center was presented by Rasim Bagirov, Director of the International Relations Department of Azerbaijan's Media Development Agency.

He emphasized that the initiative to create the center belongs to Azerbaijan. The main tasks of the structure are strengthening media cooperation between countries, coordinated coverage of regional and global processes, increasing the professionalism of journalists and combating disinformation. The concept of the center was discussed at the D-8 Commission meeting in Istanbul and at online meetings of coordinators; their proposals are being taken into account in the preparation of the charter.

The Center will operate through a network of national coordinators, strategic guidance will be provided by the ACNC Advisory Board, and operational activities will be headed by an executive director. Azerbaijan will cover the main expenses, while other countries will be able to support individual initiatives.

The key areas of the Center's work include information exchange, joint media projects, educational programs, analytical research, digital technology development and countering disinformation. According to R. Bagirov, the proposals of the forum participants will be included in a two-year Action Plan, which will be implemented after the Center's launch.

New horizons of cooperation

The forum in Baku became the starting point for forming a common media agenda of the participating countries, writes the newspaper "Caspian". D-8 representatives view media as a key tool for building trust, promoting cultural values and enhancing the sustainability of the information space.

Azerbaijan, actively positioning itself as a regional center for media cooperation, intends to further promote initiatives for the exchange of experience, the development of professional standards an