Representatives of the Agency for Audiovisual Media Services of Montenegro concluded a three-day peer-to-peer exchange visit to Chișinău, engaging with Moldovan institutions, civil society organisations, and international partners on issues related to election integrity, countering disinformation, and safeguarding democratic processes.
The programme brought together experts and practitioners working at the intersection of media regulation, strategic communication, electoral oversight, and information resilience, reflecting the growing importance of regional cooperation in addressing related threats to democratic governance.
The exchange took place against the backdrop of both countries' ongoing European integration processes. Montenegro, currently advancing towards EU membership, and Moldova, which has recently reaffirmed its European course despite significant external pressure and information manipulation campaigns, share common challenges related to protecting democratic institutions and maintaining public trust in electoral processes.
The first day focused on the role of civil society in promoting information integrity and democratic resilience.
Discussions explored monitoring and reporting on election-related disinformation, fact-checking initiatives and public awareness campaigns, and cooperation between regulators, media organisations, and non-governmental actors
Particular attention was given to electoral transparency and public trust, monitoring and responding to disinformation during election periods, co-ordination between electoral authorities and other public institutions, and measures to protect democratic processes from foreign interference. These subjects were discussed during the meetings with Central Electoral Commission and Strategic Communication Office.
Participants held an extended working session at the Audiovisual Council’s offices, continuing discussions on media regulation, information integrity, and institutional cooperation. The meeting provided an opportunity to reflect on lessons learned throughout the exchange and identify areas for future collaboration.
The programme concluded with a visit to the Council of Europe Office in Chișinău, where participants discussed ongoing regional initiatives supporting media freedom, democratic governance, and resilience against information manipulation.
The three-day programme highlighted the critical role of cooperation among regulators, electoral authorities, strategic communication bodies, civil society organisations, and international institutions in addressing the increasingly complex challenges posed by disinformation and foreign interference.
The study visit was organised within the framework of the action “Protecting Freedom of Expression and of the Media in Montenegro” which is part of the joint European Union and Council of Europe programme "Horizontal Facility for Western Balkan and Türkiye", implemented by Division for Cooperation on Freedom of Expression.