Advisor to the President of Azerbaijan Hikmet Hajiyev said that revanchist circles in Armenia and some international media organizations are trying to keep the conflict discourse alive.
Hajiyev made a speech at the official opening of the 4th Shusha Global Media Forum.
Drawing attention to the historical and cultural importance of Shusha, which hosted the forum, Hacıyev stated that the city has been one of the important centers of intellectual and cultural discussions where literature, music, journalism and social thought have developed for centuries.
Drawing attention to the rapid transformation in the information ecosystem, Hacıyev stated that artificial intelligence is reshaping journalism and that while social media facilitates communication, it also increases disinformation, manipulation and social polarization.
Emphasizing that peace can be achieved not only with diplomacy but also with responsible communication, Hacıyev pointed out that today, conflicts continue not only in the battlefields but also in the information field.
Referring to the normalization process with Armenia, Hacıyev underlined that despite the initialization of the peace agreement, revanchist circles in Armenia and some international media organizations continued their confrontational rhetoric.
Hajiyev said, "Unfortunately, revanchist forces are still dominant in the media of the neighboring country. The war and conflict are over, but it is not over in the international media yet. Some international media are trying to pull us back to the zero point where the conflict began. This, unfortunately, is an extremely sad situation." he said.
Stating that Azerbaijan is carrying out comprehensive reforms in the field of media, Hacıyev said that these activities were implemented in order to strengthen professional journalism, increase institutional capacity, develop ethical standards, disseminate media literacy and adapt the sector to technological transformation.
Claiming that Azerbaijan is the target of international disinformation campaigns, Hacıyev said, "The last major information and disinformation campaign against Azerbaijan was carried out by CNN. We checked these allegations and presented our response with verified facts, but we were not given any right of reply. Neither proper communication nor feedback was provided. This shows that even the giants and institutions that claim to do responsible and reasonable journalism are party to disinformation. This is a very regrettable situation." he said.
Emphasizing that governments, media organizations, technology companies, academia and civil society have a common responsibility in creating an accurate, transparent and accountable information environment, Hacıyev pointed out the importance of international cooperation in this field.
The forum titled "The Mission of Media in Promoting Peace: Restoring Truth and Rebuilding Trust" includes approximately 160 participants from 53 countries.
More than 30 news agencies, 10 international organizations and approximately 60 media organizations participate in the forum.