Azernews.Az

The Shusha Global Media Forum "New Media in the Era of the 4th Industrial Revolution" held on 21-23 July 2023 became an important event in Azerbaijan, the South Caucasus region, and the world in general due to its wide audience and the variety of topics discussed. For two days, heads of influential media, journalistic organizations, and experts discussed in detail the topical issues of media and the information-communication sphere, Azernews reports.

Unfortunately, the vilification campaign carried out by Armenia, faithful to its tradition, against Azerbaijan made itself felt already during the event. 11 journalistic organisations of this country, displaying inappropriate collective sentimentality, addressed the Forum participants and condemned the representatives of foreign media, calling on them to leave Shusha. The allegations in the appeal that the Armenian population of Karabagh is allegedly in a "blockade" and the request to foreign journalists to put this issue on the agenda are nothing but an attempt to politicize this important event and squeeze possible dividends out of it.

The Armenian side addressed an appeal of the same content to international organizations. It also contains statements against the Forum, condemns the activities of foreign journalists participating in the event and expresses other unacceptable opinions. Moreover, threatening letters were sent to the e-mail addresses of these journalists, they were blackmailed and genuinely terrorized. Some participants even had to temporarily close their social media accounts.

The dissemination of false statements on behalf of the participants of the Shusha Forum, the claim that in these statements they voiced opinions on the necessity of lifting the "blockade" of Karabagh, does not fit into any boundaries.

The fact that persons claiming to be engaged in media activities in Armenia oppose the peace agenda in the South Caucasus region, their provocative actions are an abuse of journalism and a disregard for professional principles. The Press Council of Azerbaijan is concerned about this.

The Council believes that such cases aimed at misleading international public opinion, or threatening representatives of foreign media are absolutely unacceptable and require a decisive reaction. The structure calls on the international community, as well as the world's leading journalistic organisations to show solidarity in this matter and take appropriate measures.

At the same time, the Press Council deeply regrets the use of dirty political technologies by Armenian media. The Council believes that the media bodies of both Azerbaijan and Armenia should serve the normalization of relations between the countries, not their destruction.

Such speculative steps of Armenia, pro-Armenian circles will have no results. The Press Council is confident that the Shusha Global Media Forum, having acquired a permanent character, is becoming an authoritative platform where media problems in the world will be comprehensively discussed. It would be good for Armenian journalists not to become captives of adventurist tendencies, to be represented on this platform in the future, and to contribute to the defense of journalistic values.

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