TIRANA, April 2 /ATA/ – The European Union’s Ambassador to Albania, Silvio Gonzato, said on Thursday that promoting independent and professional media is central to combating disinformation and strengthening freedom of expression.
Gonzato said the issue is a core pillar of EU rule-of-law principles and an important indicator of a country’s readiness to join the bloc.
“Disinformation affects the public debate, it polarises, instils doubt and undermines our democracies. Lies are easy – proving them wrong requires deliberate efforts. Yesterday was the International Fact-Checking Day and we celebrated it together with those who tirelessly work to provide fact-based and transparent information to Albanians,” the EU Ambassador said.
The event, organised by Faktoje, the Embassy of the Netherlands and GIZ Albania, brought together representatives of EU member states, members of Albania’s parliament, media experts and local fact-checkers.
Gonzato said the gathering served as an opportunity to reaffirm a shared commitment to strengthening societal resilience against disinformation and other forms of malign influence.
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