Source · Select Committees · Foreign Affairs Committee
Recommendation 2
2
Not Addressed
The UK must prioritise existing funds for civil society organisations and independent media to enhance...
Recommendation
The UK must prioritise existing funds for civil society organisations and independent media to enhance their resilience and capacity across Europe, but especially around the Black Sea Region and the Western Balkans, to stem the flow of Russian influence and aggression. It should also step-up its counter foreign information manipulation and interference offering to allies in the Black Sea Region to ensure Russia cannot succeed in its attempts to influence election results. Failure to do so risks the potential for breaches of human rights and limits democracy. This would further threaten direct confrontation with NATO and European security. (Recommendation, Paragraph 26)
Government response summary AI-generated
The government responds with general statements about national security, threats from China, and the Counter-Political Interference and Espionage Action Plan, but does not address the recommendation to prioritize funds for civil society/media or step up counter-FIMI efforts in the Black Sea region and Western Balkans against Russian influence.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government · verbatim extract
Not Addressed
69. We are acutely aware that countries in the Black Sea Region and the Western Balkans are a target for Russian FIMI, including disinformation, aimed at undermining democratic progress and Euro-Atlantic integration. 70. Given the nature of the threat, the UK is investing to counter FIMI, including disinformation, in both these regions. For example, the UK is supporting civil society and independent media in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), to build resilience against disinformation and malign foreign influence and enable alternative narratives. We are working in partnership against FIMI through support to investigative media in BiH and Armenia to provide objective, factual information regarding foreign interference. 71. The UK provided the Moldovan government with significant support ahead of their elections last year, to help secure these against Russian interference. This included funding to support cyber resilience, increase media literacy and institutional resilience to hybrid threats, and to identify and counter information manipulation and interference that threatened to undermine Moldova’s democratic processes. We look forward to continuing our work with the new Moldovan Government in support of our shared priorities in this area under the UK-Moldova Defence and Security Partnership which includes specific joint actions to counter hybrid threats and FIMI. 72. As underscored throughout this response, this Government recognises that a truly independent media and vibrant civil society are crucial to a functioning democracy. We will continue to provide support to independent media organisations and civil society groups operating in countries in the Black Sea Region and the Western Balkans. In this vein, the UK, along with our international partners, are engaging on how to support the Armenian government to safeguard their upcoming elections and democratic resilience, including on how Armenia can protect themselves against anticipated Russian attempts at information manipulation or interference, in the forthcoming elections and democratic processes. Domestic Governance
Read the full response on Parliament ↗