Maia Sandu on Monday signed a decree to constitute the commission for the organization of the public contest to select a candidate for the position of director of the Center for Strategic Communication and Combating Disinformation, IPN reports.

Additional details regarding the stages and conditions of the competition will be made public later. The authorities assure that the selection process will be transparent and will be based on clear criteria of competence and integrity.

Under the presidential decree, the competition commission is made up of representatives of the President’s Office, civil society, journalists and MPs. The commission is led by Igor Zakharov, adviser to President Maia Sandu on European affairs and strategic communication. The committee also includes MP Marcela Adam, member of the parliamentary commission on culture, education, research, youth, sport and media, the head of the Office of the President of the Republic of Moldova Adrian Băluțel, journalist Vitalie Călugăreanu and project coordinator at the Institute for Strategic Initiatives Victoria Olari.

Currently, the Center for Strategic Communication and Combating Disinformation is led by Ana Revenco, former Minister of Internal Affairs.

Through the Center, the authorities aim to strengthen the state institutions’ capacity to respond to information challenges and combat disinformation, which represents a growing threat in the current geopolitical context. The Center has the role of analyzing and developing strategic communication policies, and of identifying and countering disinformation campaigns targeting the Republic of Moldova.