FBA Helps Strengthen Protection Against Election Interference in Armenia

Democratic Progress Amid Regional Challenges

Armenia is undergoing a period of significant transformation. While pursuing efforts to normalize relations and build peace with neighboring Azerbaijan and Turkey, the country is also advancing a range of democratic reforms.

These developments come at a time when democracies around the world are increasingly exposed to hybrid threats, including disinformation and information manipulation, cyberattacks, illicit political financing, and attempts to undermine public confidence in democratic institutions.

Building Resilience Through Training and Cooperation

To help address these challenges, FBA has been supporting Armenian partners since 2025 through a series of training initiatives involving election officials, civil society organizations, and media professionals. Around twenty training sessions have been conducted, focusing on how to prevent, identify, and respond to threats against the electoral process before, during, and after elections.

“Free and fair elections are a fundamental pillar of democracy,” says Carl Fredrik Birkoff, FBA’s expert on electoral integrity. “Protecting elections is not only about ensuring that voting takes place properly on election day—it also requires the ability to detect and counter threats to the democratic process at an early stage.”

As part of its efforts, FBA has also produced an Armenian-language publication outlining practical approaches to protecting elections from hybrid threats and foreign influence.

A Matter of Regional and European Security

Developments in Armenia have implications that extend beyond the country itself. A stable, democratic, and peaceful Armenia can contribute to greater security, cooperation, and long-term stability across the South Caucasus. For both Sweden and Europe, supporting democratic resilience in the region is therefore an important investment in a more secure and predictable neighborhood.