Pristina, January 26, 2023
“The digital transformation, in which we are working, will bring many benefits, both for the state and for society, and the digitalization of public administration in particular enables the increase of transparency and accountability in governance, as well as the improvement of the quality of services for citizens and our businesses, therefore it is also in the focus of our government. Through digitization in education, we aim for better quality education at all levels, while the health information system will create opportunities for more efficient health. With comprehensive digitalization, we expect an increase in savings, productivity and competitiveness in the economy”, said the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, at the international cyber security conference “Cyber zero”.
On this occasion, the Prime Minister announced that the Government is addressing cyber security risks through a multidimensional commitment and added that in October of last year, the Law on Cyber Security was approved in the government and was approved in the first reading in the Assembly. Through this law, the Cyber Security Agency will be established, which will be the key institution responsible for setting and implementing cyber security measures in the Republic of Kosovo.
Meanwhile, the draft of the new strategy for cyber security has been finalized, which is expected to be proceeded in public consultations at the end of this month, for which Prime Minister Kurti encouraged everyone to participate.
The strategy reiterates the necessity of strengthening institutional mechanisms and increasing sustainable human capacities in the field of cyber security at the state level. In particular, it is envisaged to increase the capacities for dealing with cyber incidents in the fight against cyber crime.
Furthermore, Prime Minister Kurti said that the effective protection of the country in the field of cyber security will only be possible through a close and dense cooperation between the public and private sectors, academia and the wider cyber security community in the country, as well as international cooperation with friendly countries, and “Cyber Zero” conference contributes to such cooperation.
In the end, emphasizing the importance of cyber security, he added that the Republic of Kosovo will increase its investment in defense and security, but that neither defense nor security are protected and secure, as long as there is no cyber security.
Complete speech of Prime Minister Kurti at the conference:
Dear organizers,
Dear Chairman of the Board of the Albanian Cyber Association, Mr. Tanzer Abazi,
Dear US Ambassador in Pristina Jeffrey M. Hovenier,
Dear Commissioner for Information and Privacy, Ms. Krenare Sogojeva Dermaku –
Dear Mayor of the Municipality of Pristina, Përparim Rama,
Dear members of the cyber security community in Kosovo and the region,
Dear guests, ladies and gentlemen,
It is a special pleasure that today I am addressing you at the international cyber security conference “Cyber zero”.
The digital transformation, in which we are working, will bring numerous benefits both for the state and for society, and the digitalization of public administration in particular enables the increase of transparency and accountability in governance, as well as the improvement of the quality of services for citizens and our businesses, therefore it is also in the focus of our government. Through digitization in education, we aim for better quality education at all levels, while the health information system will create opportunities for more efficient health. With comprehensive digitalization, we expect an increase in savings, productivity and competitiveness in the economy.
There are also challenges and risks for digital transformation. As governance and the digitized economy become increasingly dependent on the well-functioning of networks and information systems, cyberspace security becomes essential to the functioning of the state. Cyber attacks today have the potential to cause extensive damage, starting from the downfall of web pages, the degradation and interruption of electronic services, up to the violation of the operation of critical infrastructure and the endangerment of national security.
Our government is addressing cyber security risks through a multi-dimensional commitment. Thus, in October of last year, we approved the Law on cyber security in the government, and the law has already been approved in the first reading in the Assembly. This law defines the responsibilities of the authorities in the field of cyber security, the duties of cyber security entities, inter-institutional cooperation, and measures to prevent cyber attacks in our country. Through this law, the Cyber Security Agency will be established, which will be the key institution responsible for setting and implementing cyber security measures in the Republic of Kosovo. The agency will have the task of monitoring, inspecting and coordinating the activities of the institutions responsible for cyber security, as well as taking measures in case of non-implementation of the obligations provided by law. Having the national CERT within its framework, the Agency will also deal with the response to threats and incidents in Kosovo’s cyberspace.
Meanwhile, we have already finalized the draft of the new strategy for cyber security, which is expected to be proceeded in public consultations at the end of this month, for which I encourage you to participate. The strategy reiterates the necessity of strengthening institutional mechanisms and increasing sustainable human capacities in the field of cyber security at the state level. In particular, it is envisaged to increase the capacities for dealing with cyber incidents in the fight against cyber crime.
The identification of critical infrastructure, as well as the assessment of the maturity of cyber security in critical infrastructure, represents an important objective of this strategy. This will be followed by the definition and implementation of standards and measures to ensure the sustainability of critical infrastructure.
The strategy also pays special attention to educational and preventive actions and measures. Awareness programs, exercises and building a culture of cyber security can significantly reduce the likelihood of falling victim to cyber attacks.
Much of the critical infrastructure is privately owned. And the vast majority of professionals in the field of cyber security also work in the private sector. With this in mind, last year we established the Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity Working Group, with broad representation from government institutions, the private sector and academia. The group has an advisory role to help implement cyber security policies and increase the protection and resilience of critical infrastructure in Kosovo. The working group also serves as a forum for the exchange of knowledge and ideas between the public sector, the private sector and academia, as well as for building trust between the parties.
This initiative is one of the cooperation mechanisms of the public and private sector, which is also foreseen in the new strategy. Another foreseen mechanism is the program for supporting startups in this field.
We will be able to effectively protect the country in the field of cyber security only through a close and dense cooperation between the public and private sectors, academia and the wider cyber security community in the country, as well as international cooperation with friendly countries, and “Cyber Zero” conference also contributes to such cooperation.
Last year we increased the defense budget by 52 percent compared to 2021, this year the defense budget has increased by another 20 percent.
So, the Republic of Kosovo will increase its investment, spending on defense and security. But both protection and security are not protected and safe, as long as we do not have cyber security.
Therefore, I thank you very much for this organization for your contribution and I wish you success and fruitful discussions.
Last modified: January 26, 2023