Police Chiefs of the WB6 come together with IT-Experts and EU Counterparts at strategic meeting on cyber-threats against critical infrastructure in Tirana, ALB
The regional project Countering Serious Crime in the Western Balkans (CSCWB) organized a high-level strategic meeting on November 3rd in Tirana, Albania. The meeting brought together Police Chiefs of Albania, Kosovo*, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia and Italy, their EU Counterparts and IT-Experts.
The meeting constituted a unique opportunity to advance discussions of a high level of expertise on the respective subject of cyber-related threats, share best experiences at a national and international level, thus enhancing international police cooperation through the useful and necessary exchange of experiences. It also served the purpose of sharing best practices and procedures regarding ways of neutralizing cyber attacks, investigating perpetrators, strengthening cyber security and the efficient use of lessons learned from previous cases when other agencies have fallen prey to cyber attack.
Mr. Carlo Verdiglione, the CSCWB Project Manager, representing the Italian Ministry of Interior, stated: “This is an operational Project. This doesn’t mean of course that we are going to eliminate criminality and terrorism completely or overnight. But we believe that also thanks the initiatives such us ours, thanks to mechanisms of coordination and thanks to the steering rule of the European Institutions to ensure coordination and complementarity, criminal groups will be less sustainable over time”
The attendees agreed on the crucial importance of interstate cooperation, continuous training and the maximization of technology in the common fight against cyber-threats, thus, contributing to the maintenance of national and international peace and security. In recapitulating the conclusions of the symposium, the CSCWB project’s Police Resident Expert in Albania Mr. Massimiliano Moro highlighted the following: “We must secure our access to strategic domains. We must invest more and better. More targeted and coordinated investments in innovative defence capabilities and mechanisms will increase our ability to act and lower unwanted strategic dependencies. And our strengthened partnerships will enhance our security. In carrying this forward, we must ensure synergies with work to all relevant Commission’s policies and initiatives.”
*This designation is without prejudice to positions on status and is in line with UN Security Council resolution 1244 and the International Court of Justice Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.
