Armenian Parliament Speaker: numerous Russian government officials  presume to dictate Armenia`s interests and speak on behalf of   Armenian people

ArmInfo. 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. Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia Alen Simonyan stated  while speaking  at the Conference of Speakers of European Union Parliaments.

According to the press service of the National Assembly of the  Republic of Armenia, Alen Simonyan in his speech noted, in  particular: 

"Dear Mr. President,

Dear Colleagues,

Ladies and gentlemen,

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."