On 30 October 2023, the Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, Reinis Brusbārdis, as part of his visit in Tunis, Tunisia, launched a conference on Rebuilding Trust in Media, jointly organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, the Delegation of Latvia to UNESCO, the Baltic Centre for Media Excellence, Manouba University in Tunisia, the UNESCO Office for the Maghreb, and the EU Media Support Program in Tunisia.
In his opening address to the participants, Reinis Brusbārdis underlined that disinformation was one of the greatest challenges faced by modern society. A strong and independent media environment is crucial for combating disinformation; therefore, it is important to safeguard and strengthen fundamental rights, including freedom of expression.
The Parliamentary Secretary noted that Latvia had developed into a regional leader in media literacy initiatives led by journalists and civil society, in which content is created that attracts digital audiences. Latvia is happy to share its knowledge and experience with colleagues from the Maghreb region, as the countries are facing similar challenges.
The conference featured discussions on key issues related to the role of the media and to disinformation, including how to increase public trust in the media while leveraging digital technologies and opportunities to strengthen an environment favourable to professional journalism.
During the working days of the conference on 30 and 31 October, vital topics are being discussed concerning the role of the media and disinformation, public trust in the media in the age of digital technologies and opportunities. The issue of strengthening information and media literacy is also being raised by Latvia in international organisations, including as the country is standing as a candidate for a seat of a non-permanent Member of the UN Security Council in 2026-2027.
The conference brought together representatives from Morocco, Libya, Mauritania, Jordan, Algeria, and Tunisia.
During the visit, meetings were also held with the Head of the European Union Delegation, Ambassador Marcus Cornaro, and the State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Tunisia, Mounir Bendjiba, for a discussion on the region’s development and international cooperation.
At the meeting with the State Secretary of the Tunisian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the ways were discussed how to intensify the political dialogue between Latvia and Tunisia, and develop the legal framework. Views were then exchanged on current issues in the EU-Tunisia cooperation.
The officials addressed the rising tensions in the Middle East, while stressing the need to avoid further escalation of the conflict. Reinis Brusbārdis also underlined the necessity to support Ukraine in its fight against the Russian aggression.
