The High Representative of the European Union (EU) for foreign policy and security, Josep Borrell, said that it is necessary to work on the protection and promotion of basic rights, such as freedom of expression and media pluralism, the European External Affairs Service (EEAS) announced.
Opening the first edition of the Conference on Media Literacy of the EU - Western Balkans, Borel said that disinformation has developed in the Western Balkans, in the EU and throughout the world during the coronavirus pandemic.
"We must engage globally in order to oppose disinformation, i.e. we need to determine the sources of disinformation and provide citizens with reliable, accurate and timely facts. It is necessary to work on the protection and promotion of basic rights, such as freedom of expression and media pluralism," said Borel at the beginning conferences.
According to him, media literacy, youth empowerment, strengthening of civil society and media freedom are important principles that underlie the EU and EU integration.
"Those principles are also key to fighting disinformation, a global challenge and threat to democracy. During this crisis, fact-checkers and media organizations in the Western Balkans, and many of you are present at today's conference, have been exposing fake news, revealing trends disinformation and informed the citizens," said Borel.
Fact-checking organizations connected with partners in the region, worked across borders and partnered with EU organizations and made an important contribution to the public debate, the EU High Representative added.
Borel said at the end of his speech that the EU "is not complete without the Western Balkans".
The first EU Media Literacy Conference - Western Balkans is organized by the EU delegation in Sarajevo, the EEAS Stratcom Task Force for the Western Balkans and the "Why not" organization from Bosnia and Herzegovina.
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