Georgian FM: disinformation threatens societies globally, truth “key to resilience”

Georgian Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili on Tuesday warned that disinformation, fact manipulation, and deliberate false narratives had become powerful tools for destabilising societies, undermining state institutions, and shaping citizens’ political choices.

In her address at the Budapest Global Dialogue, Botchorishvili warned that manipulation of facts and deliberate dissemination of false information had become powerful tools for destabilising societies, weakening institutions, and influencing citizens’ political choices.

“Disinformation, the manipulation of facts, and the deliberate spread of false narratives have become powerful tools to destabilise societies, weaken institutions, and influence the political choices of citizens. These threats are global - they cross borders as easily as the internet transmits data - and they affect every nation, large or small”, she said.

The Foreign Minister stressed that, for countries like Georgia, which face unresolved conflicts and external pressures, defending the truth was crucial.

“For countries like Georgia, which face both external pressures and unresolved conflict, defending the truth is essential. Truth is the cornerstone of resilience. It allows citizens to make informed decisions, enables institutions to act legitimately, and provides a shared reality upon which security, democracy, and development can be built”, she said.

“In confronting modern threats, the defence of truth is as crucial as the defence of borders or the maintenance of economic stability. To conclude, in a world of shared risks, true security depends on responsibility, dialogue, and an unwavering commitment to peace, stability, and cooperation among all nations”, Botchorishvili concluded.