Baku: On the occasion of the 151st anniversary of the founding of the National Press on July 22, employees of the Azerbaijan State News Agency (AZERTAC) visited the Alley of Honors to pay tribute to National Leader Heydar Aliyev, the architect and founder of the modern and independent Azerbaijani state, and laid flowers at his tomb.

According to Azerbaijan State News Agency, the employees also placed flowers at the grave of prominent ophthalmologist, academician Zarifa Aliyeva. The visit extended to commemorate the memories of the well-known statesman Aziz Aliyev and professor Tamerlan Aliyev, with flowers placed on their graves as well. Later, flowers were laid in front of the bust of National Leader Heydar Aliyev at the agency's administrative building, where his memory was honored once again.

Highlighting the 151-year history of the Azerbaijani national press, Vugar Aliyev, Chairman of the Board of AZERTAC, remarked that the agency has been an integral part of that journey for 106 years. He emphasized that National Leader Heydar Aliyev recognized the significant role of media in society, considering freedom of speech and information as critical aspects of state policy. Vugar Aliyev noted that the abolition of censorship by the National Leader's initiative provided vast opportunities for the development of the national media.

Vugar Aliyev further explained that the advancement of artificial intelligence, social media, and digital technologies has transformed the media landscape, imposing new tasks on news agencies, such as ensuring efficiency, reliability, information security, and addressing disinformation. He stated that AZERTAC is consistently implementing modernization and development initiatives to confront these evolving challenges.

Congratulating the news agency's staff on the significant day, Vugar Aliyev wished them success in their professional endeavors.