Dennis Yu: Few world leaders demonstrate such openness as Ilham Aliyev

Few world leaders show such openness as the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, who had a detailed conversation with participants of the 3rd Shusha Media Forum and answered their questions, CEO of digital marketing company BlitzMetrics Dennis Yu told Report.

"I think there are very few world leaders who demonstrate such a high level of openness — willingness to take time and answer any question from each of us. Usually heads of state are isolated from the wider audience, and therefore such communication looks truly fresh and inspiring. I had the most positive impressions from meeting with President Ilham Aliyev — he is truly loved by many. I published a post with him on Instagram and was surprised by how warmly it was received: thousands of likes, which, I must admit, doesn't always happen when I, for example, post photos with US President Donald Trump or other famous personalities — the reaction there tends to be much more ambiguous," he noted.

Dennis Yu also shared his impressions from participating in the media forum and hailed the level of organization of the event.

"This is my first time in Azerbaijan. You know, as a person who came from the West, as an American, I really enjoy being here — meeting people, seeing Shusha, talking with its residents, observing how restoration is progressing. No news, especially on social media, can replace personal experience — because information there is often presented in a distorted way, depending on the angle of view. That's why I felt deep sympathy for the Azerbaijani people. I think their story has not yet been told completely and fairly. In any conflict, there are always many sides, many nuances — it is never simply black and white," he added.

"People here greeted me with such kindness and warmth that it made a strong impression on me," added Dennis Yu.