Ilham Aliyev Addresses First CICA Media Forum in Baku

President Ilham Aliyev addressed the first-ever CICA Media Forum in Baku on October 1, 2026. The forum, themed "Building Trust Through Media in a Polarized World," was organized by Azerbaijan ahead of the CICA Summit.

In an address delivered by Hikmet Hajiyev, Aliyev described the media as an important instrument of public diplomacy and regional cooperation. He warned that AI-generated fake content and the spread of disinformation undermine public trust, which requires a shift toward greater professionalism and accountability within the information space.

As the chair of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia for the past two years, Azerbaijan aims to strengthen institutional capacities among the organization's 28 member states. Aliyev stated that these efforts are intended to promote peace and stability across the Asian continent.