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.
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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’‘.
The Office to the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia