TIRANA, July 27 /ATA/ Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Ferit Hoxha, said on Monday that safeguarding the information environment is one of the main challenges facing European democracies, highlighting the importance of international cooperation among allies to build greater resilience against information manipulation and foreign interference.
Addressing the conference “Countering Information Manipulation and Foreign Interference: Albania and the Enlargement Context” in Tirana, Hoxha said that protecting democracy “no longer ends at physical borders”, as threats are no longer confined to public debate but are increasingly spreading into the digital sphere.
“In democracies, information has always been a public good. Over the years, however, we have seen it transformed into a strategic arena. Today, it has become the space where trust is tested, democratic choices are shaped and, most importantly, influence is increasingly exerted,” Hoxha said.
According to him, this transformation represents one of the defining challenges of our time.
“Foreign information manipulation and interference are not merely a matter of competing narratives. They are increasingly being used as a carefully designed tool of hybrid pressure, aimed at eroding trust, exploiting social divisions, weaponising algorithms, amplifying grievances and distorting perceptions of reality. Their objective is not always simply to persuade us of a particular narrative. In many cases, of course, that is exactly what they seek to do,” Hoxha said.
Minister Hoxha noted that in a world increasingly dominated by social media and transformed by the rapid and largely unregulated development of artificial intelligence, no country is immune to these threats.
For Albania, he added, this discussion comes at a particularly important moment.
“We see a direct correlation: as we move into the final stage of our European Union accession negotiations, we are becoming increasingly vulnerable to hostile influence and manipulation by actors who do not share our choices, values or strategic path.
This is not a moment for hesitation. It is a time to recognise our role not as passive beneficiaries of external protection, but as active contributors to collective efforts. Resilience cannot be outsourced, and it cannot be built by governments alone. It requires cooperation among governments and parliaments, independent media and civil society, academia and technology experts, and ultimately, citizens themselves,” Hoxha said, stressing that international cooperation is also essential.
“We in Albania know better than most the value of freedom, because we have experienced its absence. That is why we will spare no effort in protecting the democratic values we have worked hard to achieve.
But we also understand that freedom is not something to be taken for granted, misused or abused. It carries responsibility, and its strength depends on how we exercise it — with respect for truth, for others, and for the democratic institutions that make it possible,” Hoxha said.
“We in Albania know better than most the true value of freedom, having experienced what it means to live without it. That is why we will do everything necessary to protect the democratic values we have fought hard to achieve.
At the same time, we understand that freedom should never be taken for granted, misused or abused. It comes with responsibility, and its power depends on how we exercise it — with respect for truth, for others and for the democratic institutions that safeguard it,” Hoxha said.
“Finding this path requires understanding, awareness, political vision, determination and leadership — all of which are essential to building resilience and long-term strength,” Hoxha said.
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