Source · Select Committees · Foreign Affairs Committee
Recommendation 19
19
Accepted
Paragraph: 73
Russian disinformation poses significant threat to Central Asian sovereignty and UK interests
Conclusion
Russian disinformation is a threat to both the UK and its Central Asian partners. The insidious messages spread by the Russian state have a powerful impact on how the older generation views the renewed illegal invasion of Ukraine and the nature of UK engagement in their countries. It also poses a threat to the attempts of Central Asian states to protect their sovereignty, especially in areas with high numbers of ethnic Russians such as in northern Kazakhstan. There is potential for the UK Government to support the governments and civil society in the region in combatting such disinformation.
Government Response Summary
The government agrees, detailing existing FCDO initiatives like the Eastern Europe and Central Asia Directorate’s Resilience Programme and the Information Threats and Influence Directorate, and states they are actively working to extend these programmes to Central Asia to counter Russian disinformation.
Paragraph Reference:
73
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
Agree. Russia’s Foreign Policy Concept 2023 highlighted the importance of Central Asia to the Kremlin’s ambition to restore Russia as a Eurasian and global power. Russia exploits its political, security, economic and societal ties and dependencies in the region and uses the predominance of Russian language traditional media and online media platforms to exert influence. Through these means, Russia is able to promote its views and spread disinformation to oppose progress on democracy, human rights, equality and societal openness. The FCDO is actively responding to this challenge through policy and programmatic approaches. In support of the HMG Integrated Review Refresh’s aim to “tackle the root causes of risks through upstream action overseas, including supporting others to build their own resilience”, the Eastern Europe and Central Asia Directorate’s Resilience Programme (ERP) is specifically aimed at supporting societal resilience to Russian interference in neighbouring countries and works with partner governments, media and civil society to achieve this. We are currently working with our Embassies and international partners in the region to extend the programme to Central Asia. In 2022, the FCDO also established the Information Threats and Influence Directorate (ITID) to challenge disinformation, propaganda and information operations by state actors and to enhance our reach to key audiences globally. EECAD is working closely with ITID to prioritise and develop its activities in Europe and Central Asia on the basis of UK national security interests. This work is heavily focused on building insight into Russian, and others’, information operations, supporting international coordination and responses, providing governmental capacity building and delivering strategic communications to counter hostile states’ malign narratives.