The Eastweststream.com media platform will make a significant contribution and take its place in the global information market, executive director of the Azerbaijan Media Development Agency, Ahmad Ismayilov said at the presentation of the joint project of Azerbaijan’s Trend news agency and Russia’s TASS news agency - the Eastweststream.com media platform, Trend reports.

"The Azerbaijani media outlets, which are preparing to celebrate the 146th anniversary in a few days, have become a dynamic information platform that meets new challenges, accompanied by the rapid development of digital technologies,” Ismayilov said.

“The main task not only is to provide the local audience with high-quality and timely news content, but also to convey Azerbaijani realities to the world, for Azerbaijan, which is the leading country in the region in terms of development rates, to have its voice in the international arena,” the executive director said.

“Proceeding from rich historical experience, the Azerbaijani media adequately cope with this honorable and responsible task,” Ismayilov said.

“The joint project of Trend and TASS news agencies - the Eastweststream.com media platform will make a great contribution to eliminating the gap that exists in this sphere and will take its place in the global information market,” the executive director said.

"The world's attention has always been riveted to Azerbaijan due to its geostrategic location at the junction of West and East,” Ismayilov said. “The Azerbaijani people have won respect for their tolerance, multicultural lifestyle and traditions.”

“The creator of independent Azerbaijan, great leader Heydar Aliyev has repeatedly stressed that Azerbaijan, which from time immemorial played the role of a bridge between East and West, has great respect for all nations and religions,” the executive director said.

“We can say that these traditions, strengthening in the virtual space, have become a stimulating factor for the formation of a big information space," Ismayilov said.

“The Eastweststream.com platform, which is represented by two authoritative entities of the media information market of Azerbaijan and Russia, attracting the attention of the world political and business elite, will become not only a source of immediate information about the region but also an influential information source in general,” the executive director said.

"Trend news agency, founded in Azerbaijan in 1995, is a supplier of news from the Caspian region, the South Caucasus and Central Asia, prepare articles, analytical reports on the main political, economic, energy and financial issues of these regions, becoming an information brand of Azerbaijan, on which reference is often made at the international level,” the executive director said.

“The oldest state news agency in Russia - TASS, which has a 116-year history, operates in dozens of countries, fully and comprehensively covers the most important and interesting events,” Ismayilov said.

“We welcome and wish success to the initiative of two authoritative information providers to unite the West and the East in the virtual space!" the executive director said.

“Azerbaijan’s great victory in the 44-day second Karabakh War, gained under the leadership of victorious Supreme Commander of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces Ilham Aliyev, as well as in all spheres, contributed to the rise in the activity of the media,” executive director said.

"From now on, Azerbaijani media outlets must demonstrate a new conceptual approach in their work to meet the modern challenges,” Ismayilov said.

“During the 44-day Karabakh War, our journalists, inspired by the tireless work of the Azerbaijani president to bring truthful information about our country to the world, fulfilled their professional duty with dignity,” executive director said.

“Azerbaijani journalists provided the local and international readers with objective information through the materials from the front-line, objective analytical reviews," Ismayilov said.

“Today the Azerbaijani media outlets are going through a period of important and comprehensive reforms,” the executive director said.

“The decree “On intensifying reforms in the media sector in Azerbaijan", signed by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on January 12, 2021, laid the foundation for a new stage in the development of media,” Ismayilov said.

“The creation of the Media Development Agency is part of the process being carried out in this sphere,” the executive director said.

“The agency improves the activity of media entities, increases the professionalism and responsibility of journalists, strengthens their social protection, trains media specialists and organizes their additional training and also implements large-scale projects in the field of education,” Ismayilov said.

“The main priorities of the agency are to stimulate the use of new information and communication technologies and innovations in the field of media, implement the projects of interest to citizens and society, coordinate the activity of state agencies and structures, self-government bodies, legal entities and individuals in the relevant sphere," Ismayilov said.

“This decree of President Aliyev on reforms in the media sector envisages the fundamental changes and sets new tasks for the media,” the executive director said.

“The innovations that will be applied in connection with the decree will create conditions for stimulating the activity of the Azerbaijani media, based on the principles of transparency and satisfaction of citizens,” Ismayilov said.

“We regard the partnership project of Trend and TASS agencies as the great success of the Azerbaijani media,” the executive director said. “Of course, the Eastweststream.com platform will be able to meet the needs for news and high-quality analytical reviews about the dynamic development of the East and West.”

“We are convinced that from a technological point of view, Eastweststream.com will become such a unique digital media platform and it will be possible to unite the leading media outlets of the East and West within the project," Ismayilov said.