BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 1. President of the
Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev addressed the participants of
CICA Media Forum held today in Baku.


The text of the address was published on the official website of
the President of Azerbaijan.


"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," the
address reads.