Ivanović: Cybersecurity is a matter of sovereignty and European maturity

Deputy Prime Minister for Foreign and European Affairs Filip Ivanović officially opened today in Podgorica the first regional conference on cybersecurity titled WB CyberPulse 2025: Tracking Progress, Building Resilience, Driving Change.

The conference is organized by the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) and the European Commission (EC), in cooperation with the Western Balkans Cyber Capacity Centre (WB3C). It brings together ministers, representatives of national and regional CERT/CIRT/CSIRT teams, EU institutions, international organizations, the private sector, and civil society. The event aims to strengthen cybersecurity resilience in the region through structured dialogue, regional coordination, and alignment with European standards.

In his address to participants, Deputy Prime Minister Ivanović emphasized that Montenegro reaffirms its role as a reliable partner and host for strategic regional dialogues through this conference. He underlined that Montenegro’s European path deepens, rather than excludes, regional responsibilities.

Our region is small geographically but faces global challenges. Cyber threats know no borders—they test institutions, infrastructure, and mutual trust. Therefore, cybersecurity is not only a technical issue but also a matter of sovereignty, security, and democratic resilience, Ivanović stated.

He highlighted Montenegro’s active adoption of European standards and the strengthening of national capacities, stressing that no single country in the region can confront today’s challenges alone.

We support initiatives leading to a unified cyber space where data, knowledge, and people circulate with trust and protection, he added.

Deputy Prime Minister Ivanović also pointed out the importance of the Western Balkans Cyber Capacity Centre, established in Montenegro with the support of France and Slovenia, as a symbol of institutional hub for regional cooperation.

WB CyberPulse 2025 focuses on identifying current challenges, exchanging best practices, and creating sustainable partnerships. During the one-day programme, participants will discuss topics such as the role of artificial intelligence in cybersecurity, the inclusion of women and youth, and the critical role of academia in capacity building.

Cybersecurity is becoming a new literacy — a culture of behavior we must build together: governments, schools, universities, media, companies, and citizens. Montenegro is ready to be both host and partner in cultivating this culture, concluded Deputy Prime Minister Ivanović.

The conference was also officially opened by Amer Kapetanović, Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council; Michael Docherty, Head of Digital Transformation and Cybersecurity Sector at the European Commission Directorate-General for Enlargement; and Gilles Schwoerer, Director of the Western Balkans Cyber Capacity Centre (WB3C).