Armenia Faces Huge Wave of Hybrid Threats: Mirzoyan

On October 29, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan participated in a roundtable discussion at a high-level international conference on information integrity and independent journalism. The discussion took place within the framework of the 8th Peace Forum in Paris, which this year is held under the theme 'New Coalitions for Peace, People, and Planet.'

“I would like to thank Minister Baroi for the invitation to participate in this timely discussion. Our meeting occurs during a decisive period when access to reliable information and independent journalism plays a key role in promoting democratic values, while at the same time, digital technologies and artificial intelligence are being used as tools for the widespread dissemination of fake news and the execution of disinformation campaigns aimed at targeting individuals and societies, inciting hatred and violence, as well as promoting human rights violations,” said Mirzoyan.

“Like every democracy in this period, Armenia is, of course, facing a huge wave of hybrid threats, including disinformation, manipulation, and foreign interference. These are not isolated actions; they are targeted, systematic, hostile campaigns aimed at achieving specific objectives, including weakening trust in sovereignty and democratic institutions, as well as disrupting cooperation and solidarity among partners.”

This challenge has become a daily task. Here lies the complex dilemma and fine line—on one hand, to protect freedom of expression and pluralistic media while, on the other hand, to decisively counter the unscrupulous actors who seek to abuse freedom and undermine trust in society and our democracy. We fully understand that these attempts will increase as Armenia approaches parliamentary elections next year.

In this situation, what is the key? I believe it is democracy itself. To protect democracy in Armenia, we must rely on democracy itself and the mechanisms it provides. We can only look back at our own experience—the political crisis of 2021 and the subsequent elections aimed at its resolution—as the most striking example of what I am saying.

Of course, we cannot overcome this challenge on our own. We have built and are continuously working on expanding solidarity partnerships that contribute to Armenia's resilience. This includes deepening our multilayered partnership with the European Union, strategic engagement with France, other EU countries, and partners that have robust democratic institutions.

According to the 'World Press Freedom Index' published by 'Reporters Without Borders' in 2025, Armenia has again improved its position, rising nine spots in the ranking of 180 countries, moving from 43rd to 34th.

Recognizing the importance of healthy informational ecosystems in every corner of the world, Armenia is taking a leading role within the framework of the 'Information and Democracy Partnership' by joining the advisory committee of participating states based on our previous cooperation. In the same logic, Armenia is also joining the 'International Fund for Public Interest Media.'

In conclusion, I would like to reiterate that Armenia is joining the 'Declaration on Multilateral Actions for Information Integrity and Independent Media,'” stated Mirzoyan.