Azerbaijan, Baku, Oct.5 / Trend, E.Tariverdiyeva /
Internet is not the cause of the Arab Spring, the cause is objective reasons for the people's dissatisfaction, leading expert of the Heritage Foundation for Russian and Eurasian Studies and International Energy Policy and member of Trend Expert Council, Ariel Cohen said at the Second Baku International Humanitarian Forum on Friday.
"Speaking about the influence of the media in 'stirring up' the Arab Spring, one should admit that authoritarian regimes have been overthrown in the Arab countries which for many years did not provide sufficient level of freedom," Cohen said. "Thanks to the Internet, young people in these countries could see the difference between their and democratic countries. But the Internet was not the cause of revolution, and it is difference," Cohen said. He said the people expected more from their governments than they could have given.
"The results of these revolutions did not perhaps justify the expectations, but let's hope that there will be no big disappointment regarding those revolutions in Middle East, although today everything indicates otherwise," Cohen stressed.
Baku International Humanitarian Forum is an authoritative science and political global platform aimed at searching for answers to global challenges which were faced by humanity in the 21st Century through the holding of a wide range of dialogues, exchanges of opinions and discussion on the most important issues of humanitarian cooperation.
Co-founders of the forum are President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Famous state figures, Nobel laureates, 15 ex-presidents, heads of various countries' governments, ministers, well-known figures in the fields of education, science and culture, are attending the event.
The first Baku International Humanitarian Forum under the slogan 'XXI century: hopes and challenges' took place in October of 2011.