LIVESTREAMING – Security Challenges in the Balkans

LIVESTREAMING – Security Challenges in the Balkans

The first part of the conference can be accessed here.

The seventh edition of the international conference “Security Challenges in the Balkans” was opened by Mr. Marilen Gabriel Pirtea, Rector of West University of Timișoara, Mr. Ionel Nițu, President of New Strategy Center,  Mr. Iulian Fota, Secretary of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Romania,Mr. Dominic Fritz, Mayor of Timișoara, and Mr. Alin Cristian Moș, Vice President of Timis County Council.

The geopolitical relevance of the Balkans gains a new dimension when approached together with the Black Sea. In an uncertain international environment, characterized especially by hybrid threats, it becomes necessary to find solutions for the Balkans’ European integration. Consequently, substantial NATO and EU operations in the region have to be brought to a new level, through enhancing, among others, the KFOR mission in Kosovo and EU’s mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina. 

The Russian Federation is a traditional actor in the region, which is now intensifying its interference through the use of disinformation and other hybrid means. The voice of Eastern Europe in security issues, whose cultural power in developing relations with the Balkans is essential, is now finally heard.

Panel I. Euro-Atlantic Integration at a Turning Point: EU & NATO Complementarity in the Balkans

This panel was chaired by Ambassador (Ret.) Gheorghe Magheru, Member of the Scientific Council of New Strategy Center, Romania. The speakers were Mr. Iulian Fota, Secretary of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Romania, Mr. Leonard Orban, Member of the Scientific Council of New Strategy Center, former EU Commissioner and former European Affairs Advisor to the Romanian President, Ms. Ardita Abazi Imeri, Programme Coordinator, European Policy Institute, North Macedonia, Mr. Mirko Mussetti, Geopolitical Analyst, Limes, Italy and Mr. Jochen M. Richter, Lecturer, University of Düsseldorf, Expert in EU Affairs, Luxembourg. 

European integration of the Balkans is essential for regional stability. Furthermore, reducing the current tensions between Kosovo and Serbia is important for regional and also for Romanian security, especially since the country would be faced with instability on two fronts (South and East). EU-facilitated dialogue should be used as a tool by the two parties to address the current tensions and avoid escalation. 

The opening of accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia and the candidate status offered to Bosnia and Herzegovina are encouraging steps in the European integration process of the Balkans. However, the dilemma for the European Union is that the Balkans have to be integrated so that nations such as Russia and China do not increase their influence there, but many Balkan countries are not making the necessary efforts to advance in their integration process, as the accession criteria cannot be bent to accelerate the process. Political will to fight corruption and organized crime or to integrate in the EU in itself, is lacking in many Balkan countries. Regarding the case of Serbia, the panelists argued that democracy is on a downward slope and it conducts a questionable foreign policy, which could be considered anti-EU and anti-Western.

One cannot assure stability in the Balkans only through military power, we have to stabilize them with geoculture, by showing them by example that Europe is the way forward. 

Panel II. The Balkan Powder Keg & the Lessons Learned from the Russian New Generation Warfare in Ukraine

The second panel was  chaired by Col. AF (Ret.) Mihai Știr, Associate Expert, New Strategy Center, Romania and had the following speakers: Mrs. Simona Cojocaru, State Secretary, Ministry of National Defence, Romania, Mr. Igor Bandović, Director, Belgrade Centre for Security Policy, Serbia, MG (Ret.) Leonardo Dinu, Member of the Scientific Council of New Strategy Center, Romania, Mr. Greg Melcher, Chief Operations Officer, Centre for the Study of New Generation Warfare, USA and Mr. Mehmet Ugur Ekinci, Researcher, Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research (SETA), Turkiye.

The dynamics of security are still fragile in this region, as it was shown by the recent escalations in Northern Kosovo. Romania sees the Balkans as an area of paramount importance for its security and contributes militarily in the region. 

As the European Union went through multiple crises since the 2000s, the Balkans started slipping off the agenda as a priority. As a result, especially since 2015, Russia and China have become more and more active in the region. Although a full Balkan conflict is highly unlikely at the moment, the region is dealing with enormous security risks, related to aspects such as the rule of law, hybrid threats, or Russian propaganda. These are the real challenges for the Balkans. Meanwhile, a considerable challenge for the European Union is the all-time high support of Serbians for Russia, it must be drawn towards membership in order to reverse ths social and political trend.

Russia treats the Balkans as a frozen conflict, in order to preserve the status quo and not permit the countries to join the EU. As such, the interethnic animosity between Serbs, Croats and Bosnians is still considerable and there can be a spark in this powder barrel anytime. The most important lesson learned from Russia’s aggression in Ukraine is that Russia’s level of corruption is extremely high, also reflected in its combat readiness. We must think about how many capabilities we must give to all countries member states before NATO can intervene under article 5.

Special Session. Hybrid Threats in the Balkans: from Narratives to Destabilization

This session had Mrs. Ileana Rotaru, Associate Professor, West University of Timișoara, Senior Associate Expert, New Strategy Center, Romania, as the chair. The two speakers were Ms. Roberta Răducu, Communications Expert, New Strategy Center, Romania and Mr. Srdjan Hercigonja, Senior Researcher, Belgrade Centre for Security Policy (BCSP), Serbia.

It marked the presentation of a New Strategy Center study, in collaboration with the Belgrade Centre for Security Policy, entitled “Disinformation in the context of the Russiainvasion of Ukraine: Narratives Used by Russian propaganda in the Balkans”.  

Russia’s power in the Balkans is often overstated in some aspects, since there is no Russian military presence in the region, the economic ties are much lower than the ones with the European Union and Balkan countries have a relatively diversified energy sector. 

Still, as the study claims, the new era of war is that of informational warfare. The paper is focused on informational war and the narratives that Russia pushes in Romania, Bulgaria as EU and NATO member states and Serbia and Bosnia & Herzegovina as non-EU and non- NATO member states. Russia is trying to find weaknesses in every society that it targets. Russia has been using several tools in instrumentalizing info warfare, such as framing, echo chambers, gaslighting, and fake news. Russia understands that people tend to deflect their attention from the real wars and engage emotionally in pointless, ideological wars within society and it is exploiting this reality to the maximum extent.

Also as part of the event, a book launch took place, accompanied by a signing session. The book, launched by the New Strategy Center, in collaboration with Editura Militară, is entitled “The Geopolitical Rose”, written by Italian geopolitical analyst and publicist Mirko Mussetti.

On the sidelines of the event, a book launch took place, accompanied by a signing session. The book, launched by the New Strategy Center, in collaboration with the Editura Militară, is entitled “The Geopolitical Rose”, written by Italian geopolitical analyst and publicist Mirko Mussetti.

Panel III. Cyber Challenges and Societal Resilience. How Will We Protect the Front in our Homes?

This panel was moderated by Mr. Claudiu Brândaș, professor at the West University of Timisoara, and the guest speakers were: Mrs. Maria-Manuela Catrina, Deputy Director of the National Cyber Security Directorate, Mr. Tal Pavel, Director and Founder of the Institute for Cyber Policy Studies in Israel, Mr. Octavian Stancu, Director of Cyber Security Services at Eviden GDC Romania and Mr. Alexandru Mărgineanu, Leader of the MS Security Practice at Nokia.

Today we are no longer just citizens, but cyber citizens, which also circumvents spatial boundaries between states and threats. Thus, the devices we use make us vulnerable to hybrid warfare, so we need cyber and societal resilience approaches to manage this threat. 

The Balkans has been the epicentre of conflicts throughout history, even in the cyber domain, and these manifest themselves in the form of malicious state-sponsored operations or cybercrime, relevant examples being even the recent cyber attacks in Albania or Montenegro. Therefore, beyond civil society education and a strong legal framework, institutions like the DNSC are collaborating and conducting cyber exercises with partners in the Balkans and beyond to increase cyber resilience. 

Another threat users are exposed to is social engineering, which goes beyond the capabilities of cybersecurity techniques as it exploits the natural human tendency to trust. In this sense, cybersecurity is a branch of resilience, which is why more attention needs to be paid to cyber awareness, cyber hygiene, zero trust approach and rapid recovery from incidents. In addition, three key dimensions need to be considered: the dimension of preventing, managing and mitigating the impact of cyber risks, the personal/business dichotomy, and the dimension of self-monitoring of personal data privacy.

Panel IV. Economic Resilience in the Balkans. Diversifying Resources and Opportunities

This panel was moderated by Mr. Claudiu Boțoc, Dean of the West University of Timisoara and had as speakers: Mrs. Ana Dumitrache, country representative of CTP and representative of NAEC, Mr. Alexandru Maximescu, Vice President of OMV Petrom, Lieutenant General Florian Coldea, Associate Professor of the West University of Timisoara and Mrs. Nina Vujanović, economist at the Institute for International Economic Studies in Vienna.

Economic resilience has become a popular term in recent years in both theory and policy practice. This interest has been generated by the vulnerabilities of some regional economies, some of which have managed to overcome recent challenges in the form of crises, conflicts and wars. Economic resilience is considered easier to implement in Central and Eastern Europe given the region’s financial incentives and economic infrastructure, especially as the private sector aims to bring its subsidiaries closer to their parent companies and reduce their supply chains. The creation of an economic club in Romania was also discussed, bringing together key companies and entrepreneurs in the region as well as academia for economic resilience. 

Energy is also a key element, with diversification of resources leading to increased resilience. The resources of the Black Sea, and OMV Petrom as an operator, have great potential in ensuring energy security at national and regional level. Thus, Romania has four major strategic benefits: the impact of resources on the national economy, the provision of regional energy security, Romania as a regional leader proposing new energy solutions and alignment with the EU Green Agenda. Meanwhile, in terms of energy, in the Balkan region, Montenegro, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina have a competitive advantage in energy exports, while Macedonia has a vulnerable energy sector.