Hikmet Hajiyev: Shusha Global Media Forum fosters emergence of new ideas and innovative perspectives

The Shusha Global Media Forum is taking place in Shusha - the cradle of Azerbaijani culture since Shusha is the historical memory and source of inspiration for the Azerbaijani people. Shusha is the birthplace of countless writers and intellectual figures who have made significant contributions to Azerbaijan’s cultural and scientific heritage, said Hikmet Hajiyev, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan and Head of the Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration, as he addressed the opening ceremony of the 3rd Shusha Global Media Forum under the theme “Digital Pathways: Strengthening Information and Media Resilience in the Age of AI” in Shusha.

Noting that media representatives and intellectual figures from different countries have been invited to the Forum, the Assistant to the President mentioned that innovative ideas and diverse perspectives are taking shape here. “It is significant that this forum is being convened in the post-conflict period, in a city that once scarred by war, but is now undergoing a process of reconstruction,” he underlined.

Hikmet Hajiyev emphasized that the Forum provides a direct platform for engagement with President Ilham Aliyev, offering participants insight into the region’s ongoing development.

Highlighting that the Azerbaijani media is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year, the Presidential Assistant underlined that since the publication of the first Azerbaijani newspaper, “Akinchi,” by Hasan bey Zardabi, the Azerbaijani national press has undergone a remarkable path of development. “Despite the strict censorship of the time, “Akinchi” addressed topics such as evolution, enlightenment, and social progress. The newspaper laid a vital foundation for the emergence of new ideas and the spread of enlightenment,” Hajiyev added.