TIRANA, July 27 – Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Ferit Hoxha said information space protection remains a challenge for European democracies.

He called for stronger international cooperation among allies. According to Hoxha, this cooperation should increase resilience against information manipulation and foreign interference.

Speaking at the conference “Addressing Information Manipulation and Foreign Interference: Albania and the Enlargement Context” in Tirana, Hoxha said democracy protection now extends beyond physical borders.

He added that the digital space has become an increasingly important area for democratic societies. Information, he said, has moved from being only a public good to a strategic field where trust and democratic choices face new challenges.

Meanwhile, Hoxha said foreign information manipulation involves more than competing narratives. He described it as a tool that can exploit social divisions and amplify messages through algorithms.

The minister also noted that social media and rapid developments in artificial intelligence have created new challenges. He said no country remains fully protected from these threats.

For Albania, Hoxha said the issue has gained importance during the final stage of European Union accession negotiations. He called for cooperation among governments, parliaments, independent media, civil society, academia, technology experts and citizens.

In addition, Hoxha said countries with experience in addressing these threats should share their knowledge. He stressed that building resilience requires awareness, political vision, determination and leadership.

/a.p./