Strengthening Cooperation between Montenegro and the State of Maine in Cybersecurity

Acting Director of The Cybersecurity Agency, Samir Orahovac, met with Maine Governor Janet T. Mills to discuss strengthening bilateral cybersecurity cooperation, sharing experience, and building capacity to respond to cyber threats.

The meeting was also attended by Chargé d’Affaires of the United States Embassy in Montenegro Michael Keays, Minister of Public Administration Maraš Dukaj, and representatives from both Montenegrin and U.S. institutions.

The meeting highlighted the importance of further strengthening cooperation between Montenegro and the United States, particularly through the existing Montenegro–Maine State Partnership.

Orahovac outlined the Cybersecurity Agency’s initiatives to strengthen national cybersecurity, safeguard critical and strategic assets, and improve the country’s overall resilience against cyber threats.

The meeting also addressed opportunities to broaden collaboration with the State of Maine through training programs, study visits, expert exchanges, and the sharing of best practices. Additionally, participants discussed strengthening partnerships between institutions and academia. The U.S. delegation highlighted the Maine Cyber Range at the University of Maine at Augusta, emphasizing its potential to provide Montenegrin institutions with access to practical training, simulation exercises, and advanced cybersecurity skills development.

The group also discussed the possibility of including representatives of the Cybersecurity Agency in cyber incident simulation exercises. These exercises would offer a valuable opportunity to put procedures, institutional coordination, and response capabilities into practice and assess their effectiveness in real-world scenarios.

During the discussion, Orahovac highlighted the Agency’s progress in professionally overseeing the implementation of information security measures by critical and essential entities, in line with the Law on Information Security.

Among the opportunities for future cooperation, the parties discussed developing an annual bilateral cooperation plan between Montenegro’s Cybersecurity Agency and its counterparts in the State of Maine, featuring clearly defined priority areas and specific joint activities.

The meeting reaffirmed the importance of developing practical forms of cooperation, sharing experience, and working together to strengthen cybersecurity resilience.