BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 25. Baku Network, an Azerbaijani analytical center, has held a new event under its ongoing project “Analysis of Hybrid and Ideological Threats,” implemented with the support of the State Agency for Support to Non-Governmental Organizations of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Trend reports.
The event brought together senior officials from the Baku Network Center, expert contributors, as well as representatives from non-governmental organizations and leading media outlets.
Opening the event, Deputy Director General of Trend News Agency and Project Director of Baku Network Sahil Karimli said the initiative envisions holding activities both within Azerbaijan and in Europe—particularly in Paris, France. He recalled a recent photo exhibition held at the Azerbaijani Cultural Center in France dedicated to fallen journalists.
Director of Baku Network Elchin Aghajanov stressed that few people truly grasp the scope of hybrid threats.
“It’s not only about cyberattacks or disinformation. Hybrid threats also include efforts to turn societies against themselves. That’s why we’ve worked on classifying them and plan to do the same for ideological threats. We aim to expand our efforts further,” he said.
President of the International Eurasia Press Found, Umud Mirzayev, highlighted the significance of the project.
“We recognize how vital this initiative is for the country. More support should be provided to such efforts. The trip to France, meetings under UNESCO, the exhibits, and connections with new experts are all great accomplishments,” he said.
Jalil Khalilov, Chairman of the War, Labor and Armed Forces Veterans Organization, emphasized the importance of prioritizing military and ideological security amid evolving regional dynamics.
“Security is a top priority for the state. Emerging technologies both complicate and facilitate this, allowing access to vast amounts of information. Society must be prepared for information warfare,” he said.
Editor-in-Chief of Cumhuriyyet newspaper and Director of Cebhe.info news portal, Rafail Bejanov, noted that the project is addressing highly relevant modern-day challenges.
“Media, civil society organizations, and social platforms are paying close attention to this. Fake content can manipulate people, and what’s happening impacts not just cybersecurity, but the military and state institutions too,” he said.
Chairman of the Journalists’ Union, Mushfig Alasgarli, stated that the topic raised is exceptionally relevant in today’s world.
“For Azerbaijan, it holds triple importance. We are at the center of geopolitical attention. While other countries may experience one or two components of hybrid threats, we face the full spectrum. Therefore, we should not expect these threats to subside anytime soon,” he said.
Speakers also included APA’s Editor-in-Chief Nurshan Guliyev and historian Yahya Babanli, who both underscored the international significance of the project for Azerbaijan.
The initiative, which runs from May through the end of August 2025, seeks to identify and counteract the sources of information-psychological attacks targeting Azerbaijan’s sovereignty, international reputation, and strategic interests—including media campaigns, disinformation, and ideological influence. The project engages international experts and analysts with the support of state institutions.
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