Georgia, Azerbaijan Face Ongoing Disinformation Challenges, Expert Says

Azerbaijan and Georgia have emerged as persistent targets of disinformation campaigns, according to Ioane Shaishmelashvili, host of the Georgian program “Eurocracy – Former Europe.” His comments came during the Azerbaijan-Georgia Media Forum, where participants gathered to discuss “The role of media in forming public trust and information security.”

“Our nations are strategic partners, and fostering stronger ties between our media platforms is essential,” Shaishmelashvili told Trend in Baku. He emphasized that politicians, business leaders, and other influential figures primarily reach the public through various media channels, including television, radio, internet platforms, and social networks.

The spread of false information in the South Caucasus region has become increasingly concerning for both countries, which share not only geographical borders but also strategic economic and political interests. As nations positioned at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, Azerbaijan and Georgia have significant roles in regional energy infrastructure and transportation corridors, making them vulnerable to information warfare.

Shaishmelashvili highlighted the critical importance of swift identification and exposure of misinformation, urging media professionals to rely exclusively on credible and verified sources. “It is vital that the media provide accurate information and serve national interests,” he said, pointing to the dual responsibility of journalists to both inform the public and safeguard national security.

The forum served as a platform for productive knowledge exchange between media professionals from both countries. “We share insights about the situation in Georgia, while our colleagues from Azerbaijan discuss their own legal frameworks, practical examples, challenges, and solutions,” Shaishmelashvili explained.

This collaborative approach reflects the deepening media cooperation between Azerbaijan and Georgia, which has become increasingly important as both nations face similar external pressures and information threats. The countries share concerns about regional stability, particularly following Azerbaijan’s restoration of territorial integrity in 2020 and ongoing tensions in various parts of the Caucasus.

Shaishmelashvili also emphasized the essential role of government support in countering disinformation. “The state must establish national priorities and communicate key challenges to us. In turn, the media should focus on shaping the information landscape and delivering essential messages to the public,” he noted.

This observation comes as media landscapes in both countries continue to evolve rapidly with the proliferation of digital platforms and social media. These technological changes have created new vulnerabilities to disinformation while simultaneously offering new tools for fact-checking and information verification.

The Azerbaijan-Georgia Media Forum represents an important step in strengthening regional cooperation against shared information security threats. By bringing together media professionals from both countries, the forum created opportunities to develop common strategies for promoting accurate reporting and resisting external disinformation attempts.

Experts note that the strategic partnership between Azerbaijan and Georgia extends beyond traditional areas of cooperation such as energy and transportation to now include media and information security. This expanded cooperation recognizes that in today’s interconnected world, information security has become as vital to national interests as physical security.

As disinformation tactics grow more sophisticated globally, the collaborative approach being developed between Azerbaijani and Georgian media could potentially serve as a model for other regions facing similar challenges in maintaining information integrity and public trust in media.