Protection of the media from external influence is among the priorities of the Bulgarian chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, Deputy Foreign Minister Rumen Alexandrov has said.

"Safeguarding public interest and the freedom of speech in a high-tech media environment faces new challenges that require additional legal instruments and activation of control by the general public,” Alexandrov said at an international conference on media and political influence which took place in Sofia on Monday, according to a Foreign Ministry statement.

“This is the reason why the protection of the media from external influence has been highlighted as one of the main priorities of the Bulgarian Chairmanship."

Last month, the Council of Europe adopted guidelines aimed to ensure the protection of journalism and the safety of journalists in its 47 member states.

Monday’s conference was organized by the Sofia-based Center for the Study of Democracy jointly with the Bulgarian chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the CoE. Bulgaria assumed the rotating chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers, the Council of Europe's decision-making body, for a period of six months in November 2015.

Other key priorities for the Bulgarian chairmanship include the protection of children's rights, improving access to culture of young people as well as protection of vulnerable groups, Alexandrov said.