Promoting resistance to information manipulation must start with  education - Nikol Pashinyan 

ArmInfo. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan participated in the high-level international  conference on Information Integrity and Independent Media within the framework of the 8th Paris Peace Forum. The event was also attended by French President Emmanuel Macron, Moldovan President Maia Sandu, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, President of Ghana John Mahama and others.  Prime Minister Pashinyan delivered a speech in which, in  particular, he noted:

''Dear President Emanuel Macron, 

Dear President John Dramani Mahama, 

Dear President Maia Sandu, 

Dear Prime Minister Edi Rama, 

Madam Commissioner, 

Dear friends,

Allow me first to express my sincere gratitude to the International  Fund for Public Interest Media and the Forum on Information and  Democracy for jointly organizing this important conference, and to  France and other partners for their invaluable support.  It is an  honor to address this conference at a time when the integrity of  information space and the independence of the media are being tested  as never before. These are not merely technical or sectoral  challenges, these are foundational issues that strike at the very  heart of democracy, peace and sustainable development. For me, as a  former journalist this topic is of particular interest.

For Armenia, as for every democracy, the promotion of pluralistic,  transparent and independent media is essential. The governments  should create all necessary conditions to ensure the real  independence of media. But in the evolving times, when we are living  in, we need to ensure the independence of media not only from  governments. With the growing tendencies of Foreign Information  Manipulation and Interference it is becoming a matter of national  security to protect independence of media also from others. And this  brings to the very roots of media and its nature. What is media about  and what should be the cause of media? I do believe that the role of  media is to serve the public cause in its different dimensions  starting from keeping governments accountable to fight against  corruption and push for reforms.

It is worth emphasizing that after the Velvet revolution of 2018,  Armenia has demonstrated tangible progress across all reputable  international indexes related to press freedom. According to the  World Press Freedom Index, from 2019 to 2024 Armenia advanced from  80th to 34th place among 180 countries, in terms of media freedom.   We continue to strengthen our media environment and uphold  journalistic integrity as an essential public good, recognizing that  democracy is not a final destination, but a continuous struggle to  protect and strengthen the principles upon which it stands.  At the  same time, we must recognize the gravity of today's challenges:  hybrid threats, exponential growth of artificial intelligence, the  blurring of the boundaries between truth and falsehood, the  weaponization of disinformation. These threats are not abstract, they  are real, immediate and global. They challenge the foundations of  democratic governance, public trust, polarize societies, and weaken  democratic institutions from within.

The current information landscape, with its unprecedented speed and  scale, requires a renewed commitment from all of us. Artificial  intelligence evolves and the manipulation of content becomes more and  more sophisticated, and our collective efforts must focus on  defending the truth, protecting independent journalism, and building  societies that are informed and not misled.

  Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference is a growing  security concern across the world. We believe that addressing these  threats requires genuine cooperation among like-minded states that  share core values of human rights, democracy and rule of law as well  as mutual commitment to a rules-based international order.

In this context we believe that fostering resilience to information  manipulation must begin with education, because today the development  of technologies totally changed the concept of traditional media.  Each of us having a smartphone in our hands has a chance to create  media. And this comes to highlight the importance of media literacy  of every individual. We need education that on the cognitive,  socio-emotional and behavioral levels promotes such values as  non-discrimination, respect for diversity and the rights of other  people regardless of their ethnic or religious belonging. At the same  time, it is education that, being a strong tool for bringing up the  young generations, can be used for the wrong purposes.

We must also promote genuine dialogue - between nations, between  communities, between generations. A dialogue that is inclusive,  fact-based, and grounded in mutual respect. In a world where so many  conversations risk becoming parallel monologues, we need a dialogue,  for the improvement of which no limits can so far be seen. And here  Armenia is ready and willing to contribute to this collective effort.  We reaffirm our unwavering commitment to defending free and  independent media, to protecting the digital space, and, together  with all our international partners, to promote a global information  space rooted in truth, transparency and respect. Recognizing the  importance of the healthy information ecosystems in every part of the  world, Armenia plans also to join the International Fund for Public  Interest Media as a Focus Region State Member.  Ladies and gentlemen;

I wish to extend my sincere appreciation to the organizers and  participants of this important conference for their dedication to  advancing the cause of truth, transparency, and freedom of  expression. The discussions to be held here will undoubtedly  contribute to our shared understanding and collective capacity to  address the complex challenges facing the global information space. I  am confident that through continued dialogue, cooperation, and mutual  respect, we can build resilient societies anchored in truth and  democratic values. I wish the conference and all its participants  productive deliberations and every success in the important work that  lies ahead''.