Speech by RA NA President Alen Simonyan at the Conference of Speakers of European Union Parliaments
Dear Mr. President,
Dear Colleagues,
Ladies and gentlemen,
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I want to express my gratitude for the invitation to participate in this conference and for the kind welcome extended to me in this charming city. Addressing my European colleagues on this platform for the first time is significant, and I sincerely appreciate the chance to do so.
Dear colleagues,
Given the conference ’ s focus on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the Middle East conflict, I want to restate that Armenia firmly upholds the territorial integrity of Ukraine, as well as that of Moldova, Georgia, Cyprus and all other states. In different international platforms we have always been supporting peaceful settlement of the Palestinian issue on the basis of the two-state principle.
The topics of this conference are pressing. We find ourselves in a new era of technological revolution – at once dazzling and dangerous – marked by groundbreaking advances and risks to socio-political life. The significance of social media cannot be overstated, as the spread of disinformation, turbocharged by AI, has the potential to escalate tensions within and between societies, inciting conflicts and posing a threat to democracy, civil liberties, and security. In this context, regions affected by conflict are becoming increasingly vulnerable.
Therefore, it is imperative to formulate effective policies to overcome these challenges.
Armenia faces daily security threats, including hybrid warfare attacks.
Azerbaijan has used various media and social networking platforms in its effort to gradually seize Armenian territory. By posting fake videos purporting to show Armenian troop movements, Azerbaijan sought to position Armenia as the aggressor to create a climate for attack and justify its own aggression.
Our eastern neighbo u r was not alone in its use of technology. Russia is orchestrating a campaign of threats and disinformation. Alarmingly, numerous Russian government officials presume to dictate Armenia ’ s interests and speak on behalf of the Armenian people.
The hybrid attack mounted by Russia and Azerbaijan against Armenia related to the trilateral meeting in Brussels on April 5 involving the Armenian Prime Minister, the President of the European Commission, and the US Secretary of State is a case in point.
Misinformation and intimidation were used to prevent this meeting from happening. When that failed, they tried to distort the results.
In response to recent events, the Armenian government prohibited the airing of a propagandistic program me from Russian state TV within Armenian territory to stop the spread of hate and interference in Armenia ’ s internal affairs.
My country stands firm in its commitment to peace and rejects any form of war in our region or anywhere else in the world. We seek peaceful resolutions to conflicts and uphold democratic values, convinced that they are the cornerstones of development, and we hope that, together with our European partners and friends, we can stop hybrid warfare against democracies in the European region and around the globe.
Thank you.