President Ilham Aliyev has addressed participants of the 4th Baku Security Forum.

Axar.az presents the full text of the address:

"Dear Forum participants,

I sincerely welcome you to the 4th Baku Security Forum, themed “New Challenges in Global Security Architecture and the Formation of Effective Cooperation Mechanisms Against Terrorism.”

The fourth edition of the Forum in Baku brings together heads and representatives of special services and security agencies from various countries, providing an important platform for exchanging views and developing mutually beneficial cooperation in the field of international security. The year-by-year expansion of the Forum’s geographical reach, along with the growing relevance of the issues under discussion, is a testament to the increasing international significance of the Baku platform. I am confident that this year’s event will also make an important contribution to advancing security cooperation and facilitating the exchange of ideas and experience.

Today, the world is undergoing a period of rapid and complex change. Processes taking place within the system of international relations, intensifying geopolitical competition, and ongoing conflicts and confrontations in various regions are having a profound impact on the global security environment. The deepening crisis of trust and growing difficulties in achieving mutual understanding make strengthening national security architectures and maintaining international stability fundamental and urgent priorities for all countries.

Ensuring peace, stability and security in the world is a shared responsibility of all states. The scale and increasingly complex nature of modern challenges require stronger cooperation and the adoption of agile and coordinated approaches. This is because the concept of security is no longer confined within the borders of individual states. A crisis or flashpoint of tension emerging in one region can rapidly affect others, undermine political and economic stability, threaten energy and food security, and cause serious disruptions to transport and communication links. Taking advantage of this interconnectedness, terrorism and extremism, transnational organized crime, illicit arms and drug trafficking, cybercrime and other transborder threats are becoming increasingly complex.

Of particular concern is the use of modern technologies and new capabilities to expand the operational scope of terrorism. The malicious use of digital tools, including artificial intelligence, facilitates the spread of radical ideas, expands the financial resources of terrorist networks and facilitates the recruitment of new supporters, creating serious challenges to the effectiveness of counter-terrorism efforts. Under these conditions, the fight against terrorism must not be limited to the efforts of individual countries, but should remain a key area of international cooperation and joint action.

To ensure security effectively, it is vital not only to combat existing threats and address their consequences, but also to identify risks in advance and prevent them in a timely manner. To this end, strengthening mutual trust among states, developing professional ties between security agencies, and enhancing the effectiveness of information exchange are of paramount importance. Experience shows that partnerships based on open and reliable dialogue enable more agile and effective responses to even the most complex security challenges.

Azerbaijan considers ensuring international peace and security, strengthening mutual trust among states and expanding cooperation among its key priorities. Our country attaches great importance to promoting dialogue on security issues and expanding mutually beneficial cooperation through various international and regional platforms. The organization of the Baku Security Forum serves these objectives by creating conditions for identifying concrete avenues of cooperation and further strengthening mutual trust.

I am confident that the discussions to be held within the framework of this year’s Forum will contribute to a deeper understanding of contemporary global security challenges, the identification of new approaches to their prevention, and the further strengthening of cooperation between special services and security agencies. This, in turn, will contribute to consolidating international security and building a more stable and secure world for future generations.

I wish the 4th Baku Security Forum every success, and all its participants fruitful discussions and productive cooperation."