TIRANA, September 12 – “A few weeks ago and again two days ago, Albania was under serious cyber attacks, carried out by actors connected to the Iranian state. The attacks targeted government data, border security systems and disrupted digital government services for a period of time… Such malicious activity is indisputable and evidenced by facts of foul play by third actors in the region.”
This revelation was made by Albanian President Bajram Begaj at the Regional Summit of Brdo-Brijuni Leaders in Slovenia on Monday, but failed to provide any concrete name of the ‘the third actors’ involved in what he called the ‘dirty game in the region’.
In his speech, President Begaj focused, in particular, on the possibilities of accelerating the process of expansion of the European Union with the countries of the Western Balkans, the great and dangerous impact that Russian military aggression in Ukraine has on peace and security in Europe and in the world, as well as to the challenges of the energy situation and food security at the global level.
Focusing on the enlargement process, President Begaj appreciated the role of the co-chairs of the Brdo-Brijuni Process and their joint efforts to keep the integration of the countries of the Western Balkans in the focus of the EU as a genuine geopolitical issue with influence also for the peace and security of the European continent as a whole. “The unprovoked and unjustified Russian military aggression against Ukraine should be a turning point for the EU because security cannot be taken for granted, at a time when third parties are a real threat to the Europeanization of the region.”
President Begaj informed the participants in the meeting with the transformative reforms undertaken by Albanian institutions within the European integration agenda, evaluating the holding of the first EU-Albania and EU-North Macedonia intergovernmental conference as a strong signal for the European perspective of countries of the region. /Argumentum.al
