Azerbaijan State News Agency (AZERTAC) and Azerbaijan Islamic Solidarity Games Operations Committee (AISGOC) have signed a partnership agreement under which AZERTAC becomes the Official News Agency of the Baku 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games, which will take place from 12 to 22 May, 2017.

The agreement was signed by AZERTAC Director General Aslan Aslanov and Corporate Director at AISGOC Elchin Safarov.

Under the agreement, AZERTAC will have the right to use and publish the designated mark being Baku 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games, and the designation of “Official News Agency of Baku 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games” across its own materials and media channels.

With a team of experienced journalists, photographers and cameramen providing extensive coverage of the Games, AZERTAC will be the single largest Azerbaijani media organization at Baku 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games. Its text and photographic content will be available in seven languages. In addition, AZERTAC will produce a video news stream. All this content will be available via a dedicated Baku 2017 section on the agency’s website.

AZERTAC will focus its resources on promoting Baku 2017 to both domestic and international audiences. This will include features on international and Azerbaijani athletes competing at the Games, as well as editorials, promoting local ‘human interest stories’.

The signing ceremony was followed by a question and answer session with Mr Aslanov and Mr Safarov.

Mr Aslanov described the signing of the agreement as “an important milestone” in the agency`s life. “AZERTAC boasts of its experience in delivering extensive coverage of the first European Games, Formula One European Grand Prix and Chess Olympiad,” he said.

“AZERTAC is making its contribution to the promotion of the Islamic Games through the world`s biggest news alliances and our partner news agencies in more than 130 countries.” “A couple of weeks ago AZERTAC took up presidency of the News Agencies World Congress and the Organization of Asia-Pacific News Agencies. We are now responsible for managing the websites of these news alliances. So we will mobilize the whole of our creative and technical resources to ensure extensive promotion of the Games, which will attract athletes from over 5o countries,” Mr Aslanov added.

Mr Safarov said: “We are delighted that AZERTAC will be the Official News Agency of the Baku 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games. They have an established reputation as a trusted source of news, not only in Azerbaijan, but also internationally.”

“This partnership will give us an excellent platform to promote Baku 2017 and also raise awareness of the ways in which it will benefit the whole of Azerbaijan.”