Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev promotes regional cooperation at 4th Shusha Global Media Forum

The 4th Shusha Global Media Forum opened in the restored city of Shusha, Azerbaijan, under the theme “The Mission of Media in Promoting Peace: Restoring Truth and Rebuilding Trust.” Around 160 media representatives, experts and officials from 53 countries attended, including journalists such as Euronews director Klaus Strunts and Kazakhstan’s First Vice‑Minister of Culture and Information Kanat Iskakov.

President Ilham Aliyev used the platform to stress the strategic partnership with Turkey, describing it as a model for neighbours, and announced the expansion of the Caspian Sea port capacity from 15 million to 25 million tonnes and the construction of ten new vessels. He also hinted at broader defence‑industry cooperation with Japan and highlighted Azerbaijan’s role in regional transport corridors.

The forum featured the launch of the D‑8 Media Excellence Center strategy, presented by Assistant to the President Hikmet Hajiyev, aiming to boost media cooperation, training and disinformation‑countering among Developing‑8 members. A panel on information security, led by Farid Zeynalov of Azerbaijan’s Electronic Security Service, warned that digital platforms are now a national‑security issue and outlined measures to protect children online.

Overall, the event underscored Azerbaijan’s push to position itself as a regional hub for connectivity, media dialogue and peace‑building while addressing challenges of misinformation and digital safety.