SHUSHA, Azerbaijan, July 13. As part of the 4th Shusha Global Media Forum, a presentation was held on the strategic concept of the D-8 Media Excellence Center, Trend's special correspondent reports.
During the event, participants were briefed on the center’s strategic priorities, which are aimed at developing cooperation among member states of the D-8 Economic Cooperation Organization in the media sector, exchanging expertise, enhancing the professional capabilities of journalists, and implementing modern digital solutions.
Addressing the event, the Assistant to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Head of the Foreign Policy Department of the Presidential Administration, Hikmet Hajiyev, stated that the D-8 Media Excellence Center will serve as a practical platform for interaction among journalists and media outlets from the organization’s member states.
“Today, I am pleased to announce that, with the unanimous support of all member states, the D-8 Center of Excellence for Media is becoming a reality and will serve as a practical platform for cooperation among journalists and media organizations,” he said.
According to Hajiyev, Azerbaijan fully supports the activities of the new center. He expressed confidence that the platform will promote cooperation among journalists and media organizations in D-8 countries, facilitate the exchange of experience, and strengthen professional ties.
Hajiyev also invited the organization’s member states and their media organizations to actively participate in the center’s work, emphasizing that this initiative belongs to the entire community of D-8 countries and their media.
Hajiyev further noted that combating disinformation, fostering cooperation among media outlets, and utilizing AI technologies in the media will be among the key areas of focus for the D-8 Excellence Media Center.
According to Hajiyev, special attention will also be given to training journalists, developing cooperation among media outlets, and expanding direct interaction between media organizations in D-8 member states.
Furthermore, he noted that the Media Center is intended to serve as a platform for the exchange of knowledge and professional experience among media representatives from sister nations.
Speaking at the event, the Secretary-General of the Developing-8 (D-8) Organization for Economic Cooperation, Ambassador Sohail Mahmood, stated that the establishment of the D-8 Media Center of Excellence will be one of the organization’s most promising projects and will contribute to the development of cooperation among member states in the media sector.
According to S. Mahmood, the initiative stems from a proposal by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to establish three centers of excellence in Azerbaijan: the Media Center, the Energy and Climate Center, and the Transportation Center.
He noted that once established, these centers will help strengthen the D-8’s institutional architecture and expand practical cooperation among member states in the fields of information, energy, the environment, and transport connectivity.
The Secretary-General recalled that the proposal to establish the Media Center was discussed during consultations with member states and was further developed at the first D-8 Media Forum, held in Baku in November 2025, where a declaration on media cooperation and development was unanimously adopted.
According to him, the concept envisages establishing the Center as a platform for professional training, conducting research, journalist exchanges, developing media literacy, digital innovation, and strategic partnerships, as well as combating disinformation and promoting the responsible use of new technologies, including artificial intelligence.
In conclusion, addressing the meeting, the Director General of the Media Excellence Hub, Fuad Mardiyev, announced that the first meeting of the Advisory Council of the D-8 Center of Excellence for Media will take place in Baku later this year.
According to Mardiyev, the Media Excellence Hub’s charter has already been approved, and the necessary legal framework for the center to begin operations has been established.
He noted that the Media Center’s mission is to strengthen institutional capacity, support innovation and research, and foster cooperation among D-8 member states. The center’s primary goal will be to create a sustainable ecosystem that will benefit all countries in the organization.
Furthermore, Mardiyev stated that the project will be implemented in phases. During the first phase, the plan is to establish an organizational structure, recruit specialists, develop management mechanisms and operational procedures, and establish cooperation with international organizations, global media institutions, and D-8 member states.
According to him, going forward, the center will focus on fostering dialogue among media representatives, government agencies, and the research community, as well as organizing professional training programs and implementing joint projects. In addition, the Media Center will conduct research in the areas of digital transformation, artificial intelligence, media regulation, public communications, and information security, as well as prepare analytical reports and recommendations for data-driven decision-making in D-8 member states.
