Gevorg Mantashyan Attends ArmIGF2024 Conference Titled \"Cyber Reality and Secure Digital Future\"

On November 5, the 9th Armenian Internet Governance Forum, ArmIGF2024, brought together industry specialists, state representatives, and members from public and private sectors interested in the future and opportunities of the Internet. This year’s conference, held under the title "Cyber Reality and Safe Digital Future," continued the tradition of fostering dialogue on key digital issues.

Gevorg Mantashyan, the First Deputy Minister of High-Tech Industry of the Republic of Armenia, welcomed attendees at the opening ceremony, wishing the forum a productive course. “We believe the Internet domain should be a space where people can express themselves freely and feel safe. In our digitalization agenda, we prioritize staying several steps ahead in cyber protection and ensuring a secure digital environment in our solutions,” said Mantashyan. He highlighted efforts to counter misinformation using advanced technologies, emphasizing the importance of free and fair Internet governance.

Notable speakers included H.E. Mr. John Gallagher, Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Armenia; Igor Mkrtumyan, Chairman of the "Internet Public" NGO; Mikhail Anisimov, ICANN’s Head of Global Stakeholder Engagement for Eastern Europe and Central Asia; Vahan Hovsepyan, Senior Advisor on Public Relations and Policy Development; Nick Hirka, Community Engagement Coordinator for the European Region of the "Internet Society" NGO, Ucom CEO Ralph Yirikian, and Andrey Vorobyov, Director of the RU/.РФ TLD Coordination Center. They discussed the event's significance, Armenia’s cybersecurity and digitization policies, telecommunications, and related challenges and solutions.

Panel discussions followed afterwards.

"Armenia at the Digital Crossroads: How to Build and Manage the Armenian Digital Fleet," attended by Arshak Kerobyan, Head of the RA Ministry of High-Tech Industry’s Digitization Department. Other panels included "Issues in Personal Data Protection in Newly Adopted Legal Acts," "Cybersecurity Challenges: International Experience and Cooperative Efforts," "WSIS+20 Updates and Future of Internet Governance," and "Development of National Content and Domain Space: Challenges and Advances."

The conference was organized by the interdepartmental "Internet Governance Armenian Forum" group, in cooperation with the RA Ministry of High-Tech Industry, the "Internet Society," and the "Armenia Sector of Internet Society" NGOs.

Representatives from five international organizations and seven countries—Serbia, Estonia, Russia, USA, Netherlands, Georgia, and Uzbekistan—participated, jointly addressing various Internet governance issues and challenges.