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A delegation led by Armenian National Assembly Speaker Ruben Rubinyan is taking part in the Council of Europe’s European Conference of Presidents of Parliament in Rome.
According to the National Assembly’s Public Relations and Communication Department, Rubinyan addressed a discussion entitled “Resilient Democracy: Joining Forces Against Hybrid Threats”, stressing the importance of strengthening democratic resilience, countering hybrid threats and establishing peace in the region.
The discussion was chaired by Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) President Petra Bayr. The keynote speakers were French National Assembly President Yaël Braun-Pivet, Chairman of Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada Ruslan Stefanchuk and Armenian National Assembly Speaker Ruben Rubinyan.
“Ruben Rubinyan stressed that democracy is both a fundamental value for Armenia and an integral part of its national security. He said disinformation and foreign interference posed serious challenges to democratic institutions and state sovereignty, highlighting the importance of strengthening information resilience and international cooperation.
“The National Assembly speaker also addressed trade restrictions affecting key sectors of the economy during Armenia’s electoral period. He said that, alongside information manipulation and political pressure, these were viewed as part of a broader hybrid campaign intended to influence Armenia’s democratic elections and increase the leverage of external influence in favour of opposition political actors,” the statement said.
Discussing regional developments, Rubinyan described the Washington Declaration of 8 August 2025 and the initialling of the peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan as a historic opportunity to move beyond decades of conflict and establish lasting peace. He also stressed the importance of advancing the normalisation of relations with Türkiye to help build a more open, stable and developing South Caucasus.
Following the discussion, the Council of Europe’s parliamentary presidents gathered for a joint photograph.