ArmInfo. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan knows from his own experience how important it is for the media to be able to function in a country free from government interference. Pashinyan stated at the event entiteled: "Media Freedom as a Cornerstone of Democracy" held within the framework of the second Summit for Democracy. According to him, when he was an editor-in-chief and a journalist, he and his colleagues had to face a number of so called "criminal cases" and verdicts with trumped- up charges aimed at silencing the independent press.
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The RA Prime Minister assured that the country's government did not restrict the freedom of the media and the Internet even during the large-scale war in 2020 initiated by Azerbaijan against Nagorno-Karabakh. "Armenia will continue to fully support and promote international efforts aimed at ensuring the freedom and independence of the media," the head of the RA Cabinet of Ministers said.
The event "Media Freedom as a Cornerstone of Democracy" was organized by the Netherlands, which is one of the 5 countries co-hosting the second Summit for Democracy. Among the participants are high-ranking officials of a number of countries, experts dealing with issues of press freedom, representatives of civil society, human rights organizations, media, private sector, as well as novice journalists. Freedom of the press and democracy, safety of journalists, freedom of speech on the Internet, the establishment of free and independent mass media and the future development of the sector are on the agenda of the thematic discussions.
Leaders of more than 100 countries, as well as representatives of civil society and international democratic institutions, are participating in the second Summit for Democracy, which is being held online. The co-host countries for the event are the United States of America, Costa Rica, the Netherlands, Republic of Korea and Zambia. The topics to be discussed are as follows: Fulfillment of the commitments of the first Summit for Democracy 2021, challenges to democracy, as well as strengthening democratic values: governance accountability, rule of law, protection of human rights, freedom of the press, inclusive economic growth, etc.