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At the D-8 Media Forum held in Baku on 21 November 2025, the strategic plan for the establishment of the Media Excellence Center of the D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation in Azerbaijan was discussed. The strategic plan of the Media Excellence Center was presented to the forum participants. It was announced that by the end of the day, work would be carried out to incorporate the recommendations of media experts and government officials of the D-8 countries into the strategic plan of the Media Excellence Center.

These words were said to journalists by Ahmad Ismayilov, Executive Director of the Media Development Agency.

“We believe that holding such media forums in the future will support the development of relations between media entities of Azerbaijan and those countries. The current discussions show that all states support holding such a media forum and will make an appropriate statement for it to be held annually,” Ahmad Ismayilov said.

He added that the Media Excellence Center was established on the initiative of the President of Azerbaijan.

“The purpose of establishing the Center is to expand relations among staff of media entities in the D-8 countries, to combat disinformation and fake news by those media entities, and also to organise professional development, the news production process and the implementation of projects in the media sphere,” the Executive Director of the Media Development Agency said.

The strategy of the D-8 Media Excellence Center was presented within the framework of the 4th Shusha Global Media Forum.

Opening the event with an introductory speech, Hikmet Hajiyev, Assistant to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan – Head of the Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration, said that ensuring reliable information exchange in a rapidly changing information environment, promoting professional journalism and joint efforts against disinformation are among the important areas of cooperation between states. He emphasised that the D-8 Media Excellence Center, established on the initiative of President Ilham Aliyev, is of exceptional importance in this regard and said that the Center will contribute to strengthening ties between the media institutions of member countries, expanding the exchange of experience and implementing common initiatives.

D-8 Secretary General Sohail Mahmud noted that strengthening cooperation in the media sphere is important for forming a unified, reliable and constructive information environment among member states. He said that the Media Excellence Center will serve to institutionalise cooperation among the media institutions of member countries, expand the exchange of experience and knowledge, and develop coordinated approaches to modern challenges arising in the media sphere. The Secretary General described this initiative as the transition of media cooperation within D-8 to a new stage.

Fuad Mardiyev, Director General of the “Media Excellence Hub”, gave detailed information about the need to establish the Center, its strategic goals and areas of activity. He noted that rapid digital transformation in the media sphere, the wide application of artificial intelligence technologies, the growing threat of disinformation and changes in the global information environment make closer cooperation among the member states of the D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation necessary.

It was stated that the main goal of the Center is to strengthen cooperation in the media sphere among the D-8 countries, increase professional capacity, promote research and innovation, and develop common approaches in this field.

During the presentation, the activities envisaged by the D-8 Media Excellence Center in the areas of institutional development, international positioning, creation of cooperation mechanisms, exchange of experience, media research and combating disinformation were brought to attention.

It was also emphasised that the next stages of the activity of the Center envisage creating a cooperation network uniting the media institutions of member states, implementing joint projects, expanding partnerships with international organisations and sharing best practices in the media sphere.

The event was moderated by political commentator Ulviyya Zulfugar.

The Media Excellence Hub sincerely congratulates the people of Nigeria on the occasion of the Independence Day of the Republic of Nigeria.

1 October is a significant day in the history of Nigerian independence, embodying national unity, sovereignty and the achievements made on the path of development.

On this significant occasion, we wish the people of Nigeria peace, stability, prosperity and sustainable development.

We believe that international cooperation in the media sphere, the exchange of professional experience and knowledge, and the development of modern media technologies make an important contribution to strengthening mutual understanding between countries and peoples.

The Media Excellence Hub attaches great importance to the further development of cooperation between Azerbaijan and Nigeria, as well as among the media institutions of the D-8 member countries, and to expanding mutual exchange of experience in the media sphere. On this significant day, we wish the leadership and people of the Republic of Nigeria peace, progress and prosperity.

Happy Independence Day, Nigeria!

An intensive training programme on artificial intelligence will be held in Baku on 26–28 November 2026 for media representatives of the D-8 Organization member countries.

A training programme on "AI-Assisted Journalism and Digital Media Innovations" will be held to develop the professional knowledge and skills of media representatives from the D-8 member countries, to support their adaptation to modern technological innovations and to expand the exchange of international experience in digital media.

The training, which will take place on 26–28 November 2026, envisages the participation of about 20 journalists and media professionals representing the D-8 member countries.

During the three-day programme, participants will gain knowledge and practical skills in the effective use of generative AI tools in journalistic work, prompt engineering, processing and analysis of large volumes of data, verification of content and information created with AI (fact-checking), as well as producing modern content for digital platforms and adapting it to the audience.

The first ACNC meeting is planned to be held in Baku on 22–23 October 2026.

The first meeting of the Advisory Council of National Coordinators (ACNC) of the Media Excellence Center of the D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation will be held in Baku on 22–23 October 2026.

During the two-day meeting, the main areas of activity and upcoming priorities of the D-8 Media Excellence Center, as well as the Action Plan for the next two years, will be discussed.

The meeting also envisages determining the venue and dates of the next meetings of the Advisory Council and the Working Group.

The Media Excellence Hub sincerely congratulates the people of Azerbaijan on the occasion of Independence Restoration Day.

18 October is one of the most significant pages in Azerbaijani history. The Declaration of Independence adopted on this day in 1991 restored the right of our people to determine their own destiny and marked the beginning of a new era on the path of statehood.

As the Media Excellence Hub, we believe that strong, independent and professional media is one of the indispensable pillars of national statehood. A free information environment, transparent journalism and a culture of public debate directly contribute to strengthening a democratic state.

The mission of MEH is built on these very values: raising professional standards in the media sphere among the D-8 countries, strengthening cooperation and increasing the reliability of the information environment.

On this significant day, we wish the people of Azerbaijan peace, stability, progress and prosperity.

Happy Independence Restoration Day!