On September 20-21, 2023, Military Academy “General Mihailo Apostolski”, was part of the organizational board and participated in the realization of a two-day cybersecurity workshop entitled "Global Cyber Policy Dialogues: Cyber Dialogue in the Western Balkans 2023" which is being implemented at the Holiday Inn Hotel in Skopje.
The workshop was organised in a co-organisation of the Ministry of Defence, The Military Academy, the Observer Research Foundation America, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Metamorphosis Foundation, and brought together over 50 participants from government, civil society, academia, and the private sector from across the Western Balkans. The principal goal of the meeting was to foster genuine and open dialogue among stakeholders from different sectors and backgrounds. The event is a complement to previous co-ordination discussions, creating a review of regional initiatives, identifying priority needs and discussion, and giving concrete ideas to improve transparency and co-operation on initiatives to build common capacities in Western Balkans.
The activity was open with a welcoming speech from, Deputy Prime Minister Ms Slavica Grkovska, Information Society and Administration Minister Mr Azir Aliu, Secretary of State in the Ministry of Defence Mr Vladimir Anchev, and Ms Martye Peters, a representative from the Dutch Foreign Ministry. During their speech they stressed the importance of cybersecurity, capacity building efforts in the Western Balkans, and the need for constant communication, co-operation and information sharing of institutions.
Dean of the Military Academy Professor Dr. Sc. Mitko Bogdanoski also took in the opening part of the workshop, pointing out that we are witnessing a rise in cyberattacks targeting governments, businesses and individuals throughout the Western Balkans region, but that we have great support from the international community in the part of establishing policies, standards and initiatives to build capacities to address these challenges from cyberspace in the region. Dean Bogdanoski also pointed to the role and activities implemented by the Military Academy, as well as the contribution of the capacities built by the military academy with the establishing the Institute for Cyber Security and Digital Forensics at the local and regional level.
During the realization of the workshop, participants had the opportunity to take part in:
- TABLE-TOP EXERCISE: CROSS-BORDER COMMUNICATION IN THE WESTERN BALKANS IN TIMES OF CYBER CRISIS
- SESSION I: DONOR COORDINATION AND CAPACITY BUILDING NEEDS
- SESSION II: DEFENDING AND RESPONDING TO CYBER ATTACKS
- SESSION III: UN NORMS IMPLEMENTATION AND CYBER DIPLOMACY
- BRIEFING FROM NORTH MACEDONIA: PROGRESS FIGHTING DISINFORMATION
- SESSION IV: INTRAGOVERNMENTAL COORDINATION ON CYBERSECURITY.
Representatives from the Military Academy and the Defence Ministry took part in part of the sessions, and the event itself allowed building networks that will contribute in increasing the capacity of the Military Academy as well as the Ministry of Defence.
