AZERTAC EXPRESSES INTEREST IN RENEWING COOPERATION WITH BERNAMA

By Sh Nur Shahrizad Sy mohamed Shaher

BAKU (Azerbaijan), Nov 22 (Bernama) --  Azerbaijan State News Agency (AZERTAC) has expressed strong interest in renewing its 2014 cooperation agreement with the Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama), during a courtesy visit by Bernama’s Chief Executive Officer, Datin Paduka Nur-ul Afida Kamaludin, on Saturday.

AZERTAC Chairman of the Board, Vugar Aliyev, said 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. 

Also present at the meeting were Bernama’s Head of the Commercial Department, Mastura Hassan, and Deputy Executive Editor II, Sh Nur Shahrizad Sy Mohamed Sharer, while AZERTAC was represented by Board Member Eishan Shahbalayev and International Relations Expert Aydan Hasanli.

Aliyev also took the opportunity to invite Bernama to participate in next year’s Shusha Media Forum, an annual international gathering in Azerbaijan that brings together media organisations, journalists and experts from around the world to discuss media trends and cross-border collaboration.

Last July, Azerbaijan hosted the third Shusha Global Media Forum under the theme “Digital Pathways: Strengthening Information and Media Resilience in the Age of AI”. 

Meanwhile, Nur-ul Afida welcomed the proposal, expressing appreciation for AZERTAC’s commitment to strengthening ties and highlighting the potential for enhanced collaboration, including the exchange of news content, photographs, footage, and videos.

“I believe there is considerable scope for us to work more closely together,” she said.

She also thanked AZERTAC for the invitation to the Shusha Media Forum and extended a warm welcome to the agency’s representatives to visit Malaysia.

The courtesy visit took place on the sidelines of the D-8 Media Forum held in Baku, which brings together media leaders from Developing Eight (D-8) member states to discuss strategies for stronger collaboration and information sharing in the region.

-- BERNAMA