Baku: The Azerbaijan State News Agency (AZERTAC) has expressed strong interest in renewing its 2014 cooperation agreement with Bernama. The interest was conveyed during a courtesy visit by Bernama’s chief executive officer, Datin Paduka Nur-ul Afida Kamaludin, today.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, AZERTAC chairman of the Board, Vugar Aliyev, stated that the decade-old agreement should be updated to better reflect the evolving media landscape. “Over the past 11 years, the media has changed, particularly with the rise of digital platforms. This is why we see the need for some changes in our cooperation,” he said.
Present at the meeting were Bernama’s Commercial Department head, Mastura Hassan, and deputy executive editor II, Sh Nur Shahrizad Sy Mohamed Sharer. AZERTAC was represented by board member Eishan Shahbalayev and International Relations expert Aydan Hasanli. Aliyev also invited Bernama to the Shusha Media Forum next year, an annual international gathering in Azerbaijan for media organizations, journalists, and experts to discuss global trends and cross-border collaboration.
The third Shusha Global Media Forum was held in July under the theme ‘Digital Pathways: Strengthening Information and Media Resilience in the Age of AI’. Nur-ul Afida welcomed the interest and expressed appreciation for AZERTAC’s commitment to reinforcing ties, noting the significant potential for enhanced collaboration in areas such as the exchange of news content, photos, and video footage. “I believe there is considerable scope for us to work together more closely,” she said.
She thanked AZERTAC for the invitation to the Shusha Media Forum and warmly invited its representatives to visit Malaysia. The courtesy visit took place on the sidelines of the D-8 Media Forum in Baku, an event that convenes media leaders from member states to discuss strategies for enhanced regional collaboration and information sharing.
Founded in 1997, the D-8 (Developing-8 Organisation for Economic Cooperation) currently comprises Azerbaijan, Trkiye, Egypt, Nigeria, Pakistan, Iran, Indonesia, Bangladesh, and Malaysia.