On Tuesday, 20th of February, the representatives of Azerbaijani Public Relations Association (APRA) met with IPRA President Mr. Bart de Vries within the framework of his visit to Baku, capital of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The parties came together to identify spheres for potential cooperation between the two associations and agreed on several important topics to influence the development of public relations discipline in Azerbaijan.
One of the topics of discussion was IPRA’s membership opportunities for local PR practitioners who seek access to the global PR industry and international exposure for their careers. The President of IPRA mentioned interest in broadening IPRA’s membership geography across various parts of the world. According to him, Azerbaijan can be the first country in the Caucasus region to gain a representation in International Public Relations Association, and that could be achieved by authorising APRA to set-up a regional IPRA Chapter .“Establishing an APRA-IPRA Chapter in Azerbaijan can be an excellent way forward for both organizations to grow their footprint and representation in the community of professional communicators”, said Mr. De Vries.
Participants also exchanged their views on the annual Golden World Awards (GWA), IPRA’s global award scheme recognizing excellence in public relations practice in a wide variety of categories. APRA can help drive entries in the GWA from, first, Azerbaijan and the greater Caucasus region. Conversely, by participating in the GWA, professionals in Azerbaijan can gain valuable insights, experience and contacts.
Both parties agreed to continue their constructive dialogue with a view towards exchanging documents and Guidelines and working toward setting up a cooperation.
