Chancellor Meets Polish Deputy Prime Minister: in Times of Social Media and Disinformation, Allies Must Act in Unison
The meeting focused on the security situation in the region, the growing cyber threats and the countries' efforts to tackle them. The discussion introduced Lithuania's efforts to strengthen the security of critical infrastructure by legal and technical means, to prevent the use of non-EU/NATO equipment in sensitive sectors, and to control the growing flow of disinformation. The Polish Deputy Prime Minister also outlined the Polish Government's ambitious ambitions to invest in strengthening cyber security, governance transformations, and regulation of artificial intelligence.
"Democracies must work together internationally to combat disinformation and misinformation. These are the weapons that autocratic regimes use to try to break down our societies. Russia's war against Ukraine and the enormous flow of propaganda and disinformation it has generated shows that social networks are not always aware of their responsibility and the influence they have on the public debate. This is a common problem, and countries need to work together to change the legal framework and use the latest digital tools to counteract the spread of destructive content and ensure freedom of expression," said Chancellor Giedrė Balčytytė after her meeting with Krzysztof Gawkowski, Poland's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Digital Agenda.
During the meeting, the Chancellor emphasised the need for Poland to join the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Expert Group on Information Integrity and thus contribute to reducing the flow of disinformation in the social sphere.
For his part, Mr Gawkowski assured that Poland would cooperate in the various formats proposed by the OECD and would do its utmost to contribute to the fight against misinformation on social media. The meeting also agreed that Lithuania and Poland will work in unison to improve the legal framework for effective prevention and national security.
"The strategic partnership between Lithuania and Poland has taken root and acquired a new meaning in the light of the ongoing war in Europe, focusing on the security and resilience of the region. We are like-minded on many issues. Our unity and cooperation form the basis for stability in our region. We have enormous opportunities for cooperation in the areas of cyber security, regulation and development of artificial intelligence," said the Chancellor.
The meeting agreed to initiate active cooperation between the National Crisis Management Centre (NCMC) of the Government Chancellery and the Polish Centre for Countering Disinformation. In order to strengthen ties and promote the exchange of good practices, Polish colleagues were invited to attend the second Lithuanian (NCCC) and OECD training Programme for Building Resilience and Combating Disinformation in autumn.
During his visit to Vilnius on 17 July, Mr Gawkowski also met the Minister of Transport and the Minister of National Defence and visited the Rasos Cemetery and other places in Vilnius.