SHUSHA, Azerbaijan, July 21. Dialogue with President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, made a deep impression on journalists, the Member of the Lithuanian Union of Journalists Ricardas Lapaitis told Trend on the sidelines of the 3rd Global Media Forum in Shusha.
Ricardas Lapaitis highly assessed the results of the forum, especially noting the importance of the journalists' meeting with the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev. According to him, the frankness of the head of state made a deep impression on him.
"As a journalist and as a person, I was touched by President Ilham Aliyev's answers. I hear such frank answers from heads of state very rarely. Especially when President Ilham Aliyev stated that never agree to occupation. This applies to everyone who fights for a just cause," he emphasized.
The official also noted that for the first time in more than 30 years, he returned to Khojaly, where he witnessed the tragic events in 1992. At that time, he worked in the region together with foreign journalists.
"I was an eyewitness to the genocide of Azerbaijanis. We were traveling through Khankendi, Shusha, and Asgharan. I saw the other side of the Gargarchay River, from where people were trying to leave that night. It became clear to me that there was not a single exaggeration in the stories of the survivors. Perhaps they could not even convey the full horror," the journalist remarked.
He stated that the Second Karabakh War was an example of transition to a new level of combat operations.
"Azerbaijan liberated a huge territory in 44 days. You were the first to show how modern wars are fought," Lapaitis added.
The journalist also touched upon the topic of AI in the context of modern media and armed conflicts, emphasizing that no technology will replace human beings on the front line.
"Artificial intelligence is developing rapidly, but it will not replace military journalists. We are the ones who travel to hot spots and risk our lives. However, of course, humanity must create clear defense mechanisms to ensure that machines are not above humans," he said.