Ambassador Omuraliev mentioned that during the Forum's opening, President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, also highlighted its significance, stating that it is the first of its kind. Discussing the forums outcomes, the diplomat told Kabar that journalists should convene regularly to address various challenges faced by the media. 'In the era of digitalization, when many meetings are held online, offline gatherings like the forum in Shusha are important,' he said. Regarding the forum's goals, the Ambassador noted that one of the main achievements was showcasing the works on reconstruction and development of Karabakh after the long war and the city of Shusha, where the forum took place, which was liberated after 44 days of occupation. 'The themes of the panel discussions of the forum are relevant and significant in todays world,' emphasized the OTS Secretary General. He mentioned that the participants discussed traditional and social media, strategies to combat disinformation and fake news as well as safety of journalists among other topics. Omuraliev expressed his satisfaction with the abundance of discussions on these matters during the forum. 'The changing landscape of news distribution due to digitalization processes was also a focal point of the discussions. Nowadays, journalists can disseminate news online via cell phones and other gadgets, making the process faster. This poses challenges to traditional journalism, which finds itself in a difficult situation,' he explained. Omuraliev said that he himself also uses and reads news on official accounts of media outlets. In this context, he also referred to President Aliyev, who mentioned at the forum that he also receives information via the social media. He also acknowledged the need to responsibly filter news on these platforms, as negative news could affect international relations. Highlighting the role of social media, Omuraliev stressed that influential bloggers should be invited to such forums to foster dialogue between bloggers and journalists. The Global Media Forum on 'New Media in the Era of the 4th Industrial Revolution' took place in Shusha, the cultural capital of Azerbaijan on July 21-23. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev delivered a speech at the Forum and interacted with participants answering their questions. Over 200 journalists from 50 countries, including media representatives from Kyrgyzstan, participated in the Forum, held in connection with the 148th anniversary of the National Press of Azerbaijan as per President Ilham Aliyev's directive .
Source: Kyrgyz National News Agency