Skopje, 24 April 2023 (MIA) – Speed, coordination, education and raising awareness are only some of the recommendations for how to respond to hybrid threats. These were the conclusions from the opening addresses at Monday’s session “Strengthening resilience and improving capacities to respond to hybrid threats”, held within Working Group 4 – Justice, Liberty and Security (Chapter 24) of the National Convention for the EU in North Macedonia, organized by the European Movement.

Minister of Interior Oliver Spasovski pointed out at Monday's event that it is safe to assume that the state of security in the country is stable, but it’s fact that hybrid threats will continue to exist.

“The intensity, development and speed of hybrid threats change all the time. That’s why building resilience, prevention and preparedness to respond to hybrid threats should be one of the top priorities in the country, and so, every country should adapt to the unpredictable, complex and changeable reality,” he said.

Protecting the lives and property of citizens and institutions requires a quick, coordinated and effective response.

“We are drafting a Law on Critical Infrastructure which will establish the basics of a system that will involve all actors, including the private sector,” said the Minister.

Deputy Health Minister Maja Manoleva said education and raising awareness is especially important for users, healthcare workers who work in online healthcare, and citizens as a whole.

“Trainings and seminars could help users understand and acknowledge potential dangers, and work on protecting their information,” she said.

Head of the Skopje Basic Public Prosecutor's Office, Gavril Bubevski, said the potential of hybrid threats to change quickly and constantly is what makes them additionally challenging.

“Their basic tool is disinformation, followed by various cyber-attacks, espionage, even acts that have the markings of terrorism,” he said.

Our response to these threats, he added, must be coordinated and multidimensional.

“We must reach the sources of these threats, clear up their motives and the goals they want to achieve,” he said.

The National Convention for the EU in North Macedonia Project is a platform to get the civil sector involved in debates related to the process of European integration in order to prepare all state capacities for the upcoming EU negotiations. The European movement in North Macedonia realized the project, which was also funded by the EU Delegation in the Republic of North Macedonia. dk/ik/