News Archive
25 May 2026 | News
IISG Board welcomes its future integration into RCC security portfolio
The 8th Board Meeting of the Integrative Internal Security Governance Initiative (IISG), held in Sarajevo on 19 May 2026, marked an important milestone for regional security cooperation in the Western Balkans Six, as the Board members took note and welcomed the future integration of IISG into RCC security portfolio. The meeting was co-chaired by Pavle Janković, Head of Political Department ...
29 April 2026 | News
IISG consultations in Sarajevo focus on cybersecurity coordination and resilience
Sarajevo – Representatives of the Integrative Internal Security Governance (IISG) held consultations with institutions responsible for cybersecurity governance in Bosnia and Herzegovina at the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) headquarters in Sarajevo, focusing on cybersecurity needs, strategic planning and donor coordination.
24 April 2026 | News
IISG consultations in Tirana advance regional security cooperation and evidence-based governance
The Integrative Internal Security Governance (IISG) representatives held consultations with Albanian security governance institutions in Tirana as part of its regular engagement with Western Balkan Six partners and ongoing activities under the Regional Cooperation Council’s Security Governance Hub.
23 April 2026 | News
The 19th meeting of the RNNC in Tirana
Tirana – The 19th meeting of the Regional Network of National Counter-Terrorism and Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism Coordinators (RNNC) was held on 22–23 April 2026 in Tirana, bringing together representatives of the Western Balkans Six, European Union (EU) institutions and international organisations.
16 February 2026 | News
RCC SG at MSC: Strengthening Security Cooperation in SEE
Munich – Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Amer Kapetanović participated in the 62nd Munich Security Conference (MSC), where he took part in high-level discussions on European security, EU enlargement, and the fight against transnational organised crime, and held a series of bilateral meetings with international partners.
11 November 2025 | News
10th Regional Security Coordination Conference Opens in Skopje
Skopje – The 10th Regional Security Coordination Conference (“Jumbo”) opened today in Skopje, bringing together ministers, senior officials, and security practitioners from the Western Balkans, Italy, and the European Union to mark a decade of regional cooperation in strengthening shared security and resilience.
15 October 2025 | News
Regional coordinators in Skopje prepare implementation roadmaps for new Joint Action Plan
Skopje – The Integrative Internal Security Governance (IISG) organised a coordinators’ meeting and the 18th meeting of the Regional Network of National Counter-Terrorism and Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism Coordinators (RNNC) on 14–15 October 2025 in Skopje.
30 July 2025 | News
IISG regional meeting in Tirana advances cooperation against serious and organised crime
Tirana – The Integrative Internal Security Governance (IISG) organised the Regional Pillar Support Group Meeting under the Western Balkan Counter-Serious Crime initiative (WBCSCi) on 29–30 July 2025 in Tirana.
23 July 2025 | News
IISG regional meeting in Bar advances cooperation under the Border Security Pillar
Bar – The Integrative Internal Security Governance (IISG) organised the Regional Pillar Support Group Meeting under the Western Balkan Border Security initiative (WBBSi) on 22–23 July 2025 in Bar.
02 July 2025 | News
Kapetanovic Calls for Stronger Regional Cooperation against Cyber Threats
Podgorica – The High-Level Western Balkans Cybersecurity Conference – CyberPulse 2025: Tracking Progress, Building Resilience, Driving Change – kicked off today in Podgorica, gathering government representatives, regional and EU institutions, cybersecurity experts, and private sector leaders to address the growing threat of cyberattacks across the region.
25 June 2025 | News
IISG regional working group in Skopje advances counter-terrorism cooperation
Skopje – The Integrative Internal Security Governance (IISG) organised the Regional Pillar Support Group Meeting under the Western Balkan Counter-Terrorism initiative (WBCTi) on 24–25 June 2025 in Skopje.
16 June 2025 | News
RCC Annual Meeting endorses new Strategy and Annual Report
Tirana – The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) held its Annual Meeting today in Tirana, co-chaired by Amer Kapetanović, RCC Secretary General, and Gazmend Barbullushi, Director General at the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs of Albania as Chair-in-Office of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP). The meeting brought together representatives of RCC participants ...
11 April 2025 | News
Regional coordinators in Podgorica advance joint action on counter-terrorism and violent extremism
Podgorica – The Integrative Internal Security Governance (IISG) organised the 17th meeting of the Regional Network of National Counter-Terrorism and Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism Coordinators (RNNC) on 10–11 April 2025 in Podgorica.
02 April 2025 | News
Regional cybersecurity meeting advances cooperation and development of new IISG pillar
Sarajevo – The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), in cooperation with the European Commission, organised a regional cybersecurity meeting bringing together representatives of the Western Balkans Six, European Union (EU) institutions, EU Delegations and other cybersecurity stakeholders.
15 December 2024 | News
RCC to present findings of SecuriMeter 2024
Tirana, 16 December 2024—Today the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) presented the findings of SecuriMeter 2024 survey at an event held in Tirana, bringing together government representatives, diplomats, international organisations, security practitioners, and media.
07 November 2024 | News
Bregu: Our commitment to building a resilient, adaptive, and forward-looking security framework is a must
Sarajevo - The 9th Regional Security Coordination Conference dubbed “Working Together in Times of Global Uncertainties”, organised by the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy and Ministry of Interior of Italy, opened today in Sarajevo.
15 October 2024 | News
Regional coordinators in Sarajevo discuss emerging terrorism and violent extremism threats
Sarajevo – The 16th meeting of the Regional Network of National Counter-Terrorism and Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism Coordinators (RNNC) was held on 15 October 2024 in Sarajevo, bringing together representatives of the Western Balkans Six, the European Union (EU), regional organisations and international partners.
28 May 2024 | News
IISG consultations in Skopje focus on security mapping and cybersecurity cooperation
Skopje – The Integrative Internal Security Governance (IISG) held thematic consultations with institutions from North Macedonia on 27 May 2024 to advance the third annual response mapping, initiate the second needs mapping process and discuss further development of the IISG Database.
17 May 2024 | News
IISG consultations in Sarajevo focus on security needs mapping and database development
Sarajevo – The Integrative Internal Security Governance (IISG) held thematic consultations in Sarajevo to complete the third Annual Response Mapping Report, initiate the second needs mapping process and further develop the IISG Database.
03 May 2024 | News
IISG consultations in Pristina address regional security needs
Pristina – The Integrative Internal Security Governance (IISG) held thematic consultations in Pristina, bringing together representatives from its three pillars: the Western Balkan Counter-Terrorism initiative (WBCTi), the Western Balkan Countering Serious Crime initiative (WBCSCi) and the Western Balkan Border Security initiative (WBBSi).
19 April 2024 | News
IISG consultations in Podgorica to discuss regional security priorities and cooperation
Podgorica - Representatives of the Integrative Internal Security Governance (IISG) met with Montenegro’s State Secretary at the Ministry of Interior, Novica Obradovic, on 19 April 2024 as part of thematic consultations with Western Balkans Six partners.
18 April 2024 | News
IISG consultations in Tirana advance regional security needs and response mapping
Tirana – IISG launched thematic consultations with Western Balkans Six partners to complete the third annual response mapping and initiate the second needs mapping process.
17 April 2024 | News
15th meeting of the RNNC held in Tirana
Tirana – The 15th meeting of the Regional Network of National Counter-Terrorism and Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism Coordinators (RNNC), organised by the Integrative Internal Security Governance (IISG), was held in Tirana.
08 February 2024 | News
RCC and IISG strengthen regional security cooperation during meetings in Belgrade
Belgrade – Amer Kapetanović, Head of the Political Department at the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), and Agron Sojati, Head of the Integrative Internal Security Governance (IISG) Secretariat, met with State Secretary at the Ministry of Interior of Serbia Danilo Stevandić to discuss regional security cooperation and the further development of the IISG framework.
30 January 2024 | News
RCC's IISG joins joint strategic cooperation forum on organised crime and terrorism
The Hague – Head of the Integrative Internal Security Governance (IISG) Secretariat Agron Sojati participated in the Joint Strategic Cooperation Forum for the Training and Operational Partnership against Organised Crime (TOPCOP) and Western Balkans Partnership against Crime and Terrorism (WB PaCT) projects, held on 30–31 January 2024 at the headquarters of the European Union Agency ...
15 September 2023 | News
Bregu: Western Balkans faces security challenges daily
Tirana – “As a region where geopolitical and strategic interests compete, Western Balkans faces security challenges daily, and the aggression against Ukraine didn’t make it any easier on us. According to Western Balkan citizens, their perception of security has been strongly affected by crime in general - organised crime in particular, as well as drugs and human trafficking, ...
25 May 2023 | News
RCC Board approves organisation’s Annual Report 2022/23, and adopts Financial Report 2022
Sarajevo – The participants of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Board approved the organisation’s Annual Report 2022/23 and adopted the Financial Report 2022 at their 49th meeting held in Sarajevo today. The Annual Report 2022/23 is expected to be endorsed at the RCC Annual Meeting and adopted at the SEECP Ministerial Meeting to take place on 4 and 5 June 2023, respectively, ...
20 April 2023 | News
RCC gathers key Western Balkan stakeholders for a workshop on media literacy and countering hybrid threats and disinformation
Helsinki - The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), in partnership with the European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats (Hybrid CoE) and with support from the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, gathered 20 key Western Balkan stakeholders - government, institutions, media, media regulatory authorities from the Western Balkans and civil society ...
15 March 2023 | News
Bregu: Continued all-inclusive regional cooperation remains key in strengthening economic resilience of Western Balkans
Sarajevo – “External risks arising from the current geopolitical crisis and the rise in commodity prices reinforce the purpose of the Common Regional Market agenda. Continued all-inclusive regional cooperation remains the key towards strengthening economic resilience of the Western Balkans,” said Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), Majlinda Bregu, ...
24 June 2022 | News
Bregu: Support of Western Balkan citizens to regional cooperation remains stable at 76%
Brussels – “While many things change, our public and business perceptions surveys remain a truthful source of sentiments across the region. At times, the results surprise us, sometimes they serve as a wake-up call, while on other occasions they confirm that our efforts are not in vain as citizens and businesses feel the benefits of our work. 76% of Western Balkan citizens find ...
01 June 2022 | News
Kapetanovic: Disinformation is neither an overnight phenomenon nor can it have an overnight solution
Sarajevo - The Western Balkans has unfortunately always been susceptible to divisive narratives that always bring along hatred and violence. As the events unravel it is our constant responsibility to cultivate understanding and awareness of this phenomenon in our region. Good news is that the Western Balkan citizens have understood a detrimental potential of disinformation – as 74% ...
18 May 2022 | News
Bregu: With slowed growth & inflation, higher energy & food prices, Western Balkans will have to amp-up regional cooperation
Sarajevo - It is very difficult to sugar-coat the severity of economic effects of the war on the Western Balkans. It is equally difficult to accurately predict the true and longer-term impact, or to identify the opportunities for the region along the way. Our realities today are drastically different, with the war in Ukraine sending shockwaves and exacerbating two trends that were already ...
20 February 2022 | News
Bregu: Western Balkans’ growth potential can be unlocked only through regional economic integration
Munich – “European integration and transatlantic cooperation should not look decoupled in the Western Balkans (WB). It’s high time to put the process of EU accession of the WB into the spotlight before too late becomes a lifetime. This is the centre of gravity for the future of the Western Balkans. The European perspective is the drive that makes the process of cooperation ...
06 December 2021 | News
Bregu: EU and Balkans security challenges are becoming ever more interrelated amidst new global threats
Paris/Sarajevo – “The European Union and the Western Balkans security challenges are becoming ever more interrelated and connected to a set of a new global threats. We have to face that we are at an inflection point. We might soon be facing a crisis—a humanitarian and security crisis, as security issues are common, so common and collective should also be our response,” ...
25 November 2021 | News
Bregu: Being Europeans is not written in DNA but what you believe and fight for
“It’s not breaking news any longer that our youth is leaving the region. One out of 3 youngsters, age 18-24, in the Western Balkans confirms that they are ready to leave their homeland. We should understand the message – their choice of destination shows what’s missing in their own societies. We just need to observe, listen and the most importantly act –give ...
08 November 2021 | News
70% of Western Balkan citizens believe that incoming migrants are a security risk
RCC organised a webinar on Paradigm Change in Afghanistan to discuss possible implications for South East Europe Sarajevo - “Mismanagement of the sudden large influx of migrants in the Western Balkans has likely contributed to the fact that 70% of Western Balkan citizens believe that incoming migrants are a security risk, according to RCC’s Securimeter. There is no reason to ...
08 July 2021 | News
Kapetanovic: Addressing the spread of disinformation should be an integral part of the overall security policy
Sarajevo – “SecuriMeter data show us that people of the Western Balkans perceive three areas of public life to be threatened by intentional disinformation: economy and finance (57%), trust in public institutions (54%), and trust in elected representatives (51%). With that in mind, it makes sense to conclude and reiterate that addressing the spread of disinformation should be viewed ...
24 June 2021 | News
Bregu: Balkan Barometer reveals human uncertainty and vulnerability are main concerns followed by some goodish news on benefits of regional cooperation
Tirana – “This, seventh in a row, Balkan Barometer shows human uncertainty and vulnerability are the main concerns followed by some goodish news which is the consciousness about the benefits of regional cooperation. For 49% of Western Balkan citizens, unemployment is the biggest problem, as it is for young people as well, while 46% are most worried about the economic situation. ...
16 June 2021 | News
Bregu: 2020 was difficult, but a real progress and achievements have been made for development of our region
Antalya – “Last year, ruled by the pandemic has definitely showcased the extent of our interconnectivity and interdependency and demonstrated that in cooperating, we boost our strengths and resilience. It is clear that regional socio-economic integration is crucial for regional development. There is no doubt about the fact that cooperation brings mutual benefit to its participants. ...
24 May 2021 | News
Bregu: 70% of Western Balkans citizens are afraid their children or young relatives might be radicalised online
Sarajevo – “The current global pandemic made it clear that security threats are not taking any time off. The region finds it very important to work on addressing the security challenges in the Western Balkans. It is quite interesting that 55% of those 82% who point out organised crime as the main security threat say it is corruption that fuels its existence,” said Secretary ...
11 March 2021 | News
Bregu: 77% of Western Balkans citizens agree that the relations in the region are better than a year ago
Sarajevo/Tirana – “The months since our last meeting in October have been difficult with the onset of new Covid-19 waves and new variants of the virus turning things topsy-turvy with a downward spiralling. In terms of regional cooperation, the big good news was the success of the Sofia Summit of the Berlin Process and the endorsement of the Declaration on Green Agenda for the ...
02 February 2021 | News
Integrative Internal Security Governance (IISG) holds its 5th Board meeting for the first time under the RCC umbrella
Sarajevo – The Western Balkan interior ministers adopted the annual work plan and the two methodologies of the Integrative Internal Security Governance (IISG), and also approved the membership of seven new IISG partners at the fifth meeting of the IISG Board held for the first time under the umbrella of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) in Sarajevo today.