President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev

Participants of the II Eurasian Media Forum!

I extend my cordial greetings to the participants of the Eurasian Media Forum, being conducted for the second time in the city of Almaty of the friendly and fraternal Kazakhstan.
Mass media, the press always played a tremendous role in strengthening of inter-state relations, establishment of warm, friendly ties among the peoples, expansion of economic and cultural cooperation, propaganda and spread of universal values.

And in the modern time, when globalization has acquired a tremendous extent over the planet in the XXI century, the role of mass media, its duties have considerably increased and became more responsible. Actively promoting rapprochement of the countries and nations, the press, electronic media should not only open new opportunities for business and cultural cooperation, but also go in the vanguard of combat against international terrorism, extremism and aggressive separatism that jeopardize peace and tranquility over the planet. It requires from the journalists together with high professionalism also an adherence to the true human, democratic values, objective position in regard with the events and facts. Just the mass media play a leading role in forming the new world thinking.

Azerbaijan that undergone to military aggression by Armenia during the last ten years, 20 percent of whose territories were occupied and one million citizens became refugees and IDPs, is suffering not only from heavy sequences of terrorism and separatism, indifference by the world community and international organizations to the said problem, and in many cases form their approach to the problem from the standpoint of double standards, but also from biased and preconceived position of many mass media outlets. This is extremely dangerous position, and in essence, plays in hand of terrorism, extremism and aggressive separatism. I consider that prevention of such cases is especially important for Eurasia that more than where else faces this evil, and for the mass media of the said space.

I hope the journalists of Eurasia, taking the opportunity of modern communications technologies, will achieve further expansion of cooperation, exchange of information, make weighty contributions to the cause of the joint and uncompromising struggle against this evil, endangering mankind, and mainly, further strengthening in the XXI century, peace, security and tranquility in the Eurasian space and over the planet.
I once again extend my greetings to you and wish each of you health and happiness, success - to work of the Forum.