A number of leading experts and public figures worldwide have joined the International Expert Council (IEC) of the Trend Agency.
An agreement was reached on the membership of:
-Heritage Foundation Russia, Eurasia and International Energy Security expert Ariel Cohen;
- Director of the Russia-Eurasia Center of the Council on Foreign Relations of Germany Alexander Rahr;
-Johns Hopkins University Institute of Central Asia and Caucasus Director and Swedish Institute of Security Policy and Development Founder Svante Cornell;
- Senior Fellow of the Jamestown Foundation Vladimir Socor
- Chairman of the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute and Silk Road Studies Program, research Professor at the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University, Frederick Starr
-Professor at the University of Glasgow Reza Taghizadeh;
- Hurriyet Daily News commentator, Head of Centre for International Relations and Strategic Studies - Celal Cem Oguz;
- Head of the Turkish Center for International Relations and Strategic Analysis TURKSAM - Sinan Ogan;
-Former Israeli Deputy Defence Minister, MK General, Former Israeli Deputy Defence Minister, MK General Ephraim Sneh, Ephraim Sneh;
- Director of Damascus Institute of International Studies, former adviser to Syrian Prime Minister, Samir Al-Taqi;
- Senior fellow at the Center for International Security at the Institute for World Economy and International Relations of Russian Academy of Sciences,Vladimir Yevseyev;
-Russian expert on the CIS, Moscow State University Research Fellow Stanislav Pritchin;
-European Analyst on EU Eastern Neighbourhood, South Caucasus, Turkey & Energy Security Issues at European Policy Centre, Amanda Paul,
- İranian Press TV Television Channel Deputy Head, expert on the nuclear issue and the Caucasus Hassan Behishtipur;
- Kazakh Risk Assessment Group Director Dosym Satpayev.
- Russian State Humanitarian University Rector Efim Pivovar;
-Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis (INEGMA) Research and Development Department Director Theodore Karasik;
-"Lider-TV" analytic group expert Tofig Abbasov
- Chairman of the Party of Democratic Reforms of Azerbaijan Asim Mollazade
- TiMETURK Information Portal Director Turan Kislakci;
- Professor of international relations and international politics Barnard College at Columbia University Alexander Cooley and others
Previously, it was agreed upon membership of the International Advisory Council:
- Azerbaijani Banks Association (ABA) Head Eldar Ismaylov;
- Moscow State University History Faculty Deputy Dean, Internet portal "The Bulletin of the Caucasus" Chief Editor and Trend Expert Council Member, Alexei Vlasov,
- Head of the Caucasian Centre under the Russian State Humanitarian University, Ismail Agakishiyev;
- Political Innovation and Technology Center head Mubariz Ahmadoglu;
- Azerbaijani Political Scientists Rasim Musabeyov and Fikret Sadikhov;
- Representative of the International Coalition to increase transparency in extractive industries, member of the EITI International Board of civil society in Azerbaijan Ingilab Ahmadov;
- New Azerbaijan Party (NAP) Political Council Member, MP Aydin Mirzazade;
- Writer and historian, expert on Iran, Yunus Oguz;
- Azerbaijani Social Development Foundation President Rashad Rzaguliyev;
- Deputy Director General of Information-Analytical Department at the Moscow State University Alexandra Karavayeva;
- Izvestia-Kazakhstan newspaper Chief-Editor Eduard Poletayev;
- Director of the Kazakh Social and Political Studies Institute Botagoz Rakishev and etc.
Trend Expert Council is considering a number of priorities targeted at active participation in the formation of an integrated expert opinion about the processes in the South Caucasus, the Caspian and Central Asian regions.
Trend will continue to work on the expansion of the International Expert Council and report on activities conducted under the IEC.