Prishtina, 12 March, 2024
In the “Adem Jashari” military barracks, the State Training Center for Cyber Security was inaugurated today, a ceremony attended by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, together with the Minister of Defense, Ejup Macedonci, the commander of the KSF, Lieutenant General, Bashkim Jashari, the commander of the Cyber Unit, Bashkim Sejdiaj, and the ambassador of the United Kingdom in the Republic of Kosovo, Jonathan Hargreaves.
In his introductory speech, Prime Minister Kurti said that the State Training Center for Cyber Security addresses many of the objectives and principles of our policies. He considered it a platform of innovation and cooperation which will lead us to a future where our country will be not only a participant, but also a contributor in the field of cyber security.
“The trainings that the Center will offer will address the essential objectives for the development of human capacities in cyber security and the creation of collective awareness of cyber risks. The center will push forward the principles of inclusiveness, partnership and cooperation, both from the point of view of the beneficiaries of the trainings, also from the point of view of the training providers”, said the prime minister, confirming that this place will serve government and public institutions, but and critical infrastructure entities in the private sector.
He further announced that the trainings will be held by internal trainers in the Ministry of Defense and the Kosovo Security Force, but also by external and international trainers. Thus, the training curriculum will offer a wide range of courses, ranging from incident management to cyber diplomacy, courses which have also received support from the United Kingdom Embassy.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Defense, Ejup Macedonci, said that the Ministry of Defense is developing its policies based on the circumstances and the creation of this center has been among the main priorities for this year.
“Our aim is to train security institutions through this center to withstand any attack of this nature”, said Minister Macedonia, adding that the State Training Center for Cyber Security will offer training in order to raise awareness about risks in the field of cyber security, improve professional skills and help raise the cyber security levels of government institutions, operators of essential services and digital service providers to achieve the capacities for the protection of critical infrastructure in the country.
In addition to this Center, the Law on Cyber Security was also approved, while 10 of the 14 by-laws that are necessary for the functioning of this law were drafted, the Working Group for Cyber Security of Critical Infrastructure was formed, and were approved in the Assembly amendments to the criminal code and the code of criminal procedure to include cybercrime articles based on the Budapest Convention.
After the introductory speeches, the Prime Minister together with the Minister of Defense, Ejup Makedonci, the commander of the KSF, Lieutenant General, Bashkim Jashari and the commander of the Cyber Unit, Bashkim Sejdiaj, inaugurated the State Training Center for Cyber Security, as well as visited the spaces of this center.
Prime Minister Kurti’s complete speech:
Honorable Ejup Maqedonci, Minister of Defense of the Republic of Kosovo, Your Excellency, Ambassador Jonathan Hargreaves, Ambassador of the United Kingdom to the Republic of Kosovo, Honorable Shemsi Syla, Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Defense, Honorable Commander of the Kosovo Security Force, Lieutenant General Bashkim Jashari, Honorable Director of NALT, General Ralf Hammerstein, Honorable representatives from the British Embassy, Honorable attendees, Ladies and Gentlemen,
The digital age has brought unprecedented opportunities for progress and development, but also great challenges for all of humanity. From cyber-attacks sponsored by non-democratic states to sophisticated cybercrime networks, the world is faced with situations that have an impact on the economies of states that undermine democratic processes and threaten national security. And as technology continues to advance, the cyber security skills gap widens. Continuous training and education of technology professionals and users is the only way to bridge this gap, so that they are equipped with the knowledge and tools they need to effectively protect themselves from cyber threats.
Therefore, it is an honor and a pleasure to be here in front of you today and with you to mark an important moment in the path that Kosovo is also following towards a safer cyber space.
The inauguration of the State Training Center for Cyber Security represents a commitment and dedication and a significant achievement and opportunity in this journey.
The past year has been a year of progress in the development of many of our initiatives and policies in the field of cyber security. In February, we approved the Law on Cyber Security, which creates the basis for cyber security in the Republic of Kosovo. The law foresees the establishment of key state institutions responsible for this field, the definition of obligations for critical infrastructure entities and the definition of procedures for the management of cyber incidents. In the meantime, 10 of the 14 by-laws that are necessary for the functioning of this law have been drafted. Meanwhile, in the month of November, the Assembly also approved amendments to the criminal code and the code of criminal procedure to include in them the articles of cybercrimes based on the Budapest Convention.
The adoption of the National Strategy for Cyber Security 2023-2027 in October of last year, on the same day when we also adopted the e-Government strategy, was no coincidence. With this action, we wanted to convey the message that the comprehensive digitalization, which we aim for, must also be done safely. The cyber security strategy, through its objectives, emphasizes that this security is not only related to the implementation of modern technologies, but also to the development of human capacities, the awareness of public administration and citizens, the promotion of cyber culture, the creation of public partnerships private sector and the strengthening of international cooperation.
The formation of the Critical Infrastructure Cyber Security Working Group, with the support of USAID’s program for digitalization and sustainability of critical infrastructure, is another initiative through which we have emphasized our comprehensive approach to cyber security. This initiative demonstrates our belief that cyber defense is a collective effort. So, we will be safe, because we are all safe and that requires the participation of both governmental institutions and the private sector and academia.
The State Cyber Security Training Center addresses many of these objectives and principles of our policies. This center is one of the key institutions envisaged by the new law, alongside the Agency for Cyber Security, the regulation for the establishment of which I signed last week. The trainings that the Center will offer will address the essential objectives for the development of human capacities in cyber security and the creation of collective awareness of cyber risks. The center will push forward the principles of inclusiveness, partnership and cooperation, both from the perspective of training beneficiaries and also from the perspective of training providers. The center will serve government and public institutions, but also critical infrastructure entities in the private sector. The trainings will be held by internal trainers in the Ministry of Defense and the Kosovo Security Force, but also by external and international trainers.
The training curriculum of this Center will offer a wide range of courses, ranging from incident management to cyber diplomacy. The support of the Embassy of the United Kingdom through DCAF in the development of this curriculum, together with the continuous support from the American Embassy in the creation of the Center, are also proof that in this important journey we are together with our partners and allies.
Today, as we celebrate the opening of the State Training Center for Cyber Security, we reaffirm our commitment to a safe, stable and ready Kosovo to contribute to regional, continental and global cyber security. Let’s work for this Center to be a platform of innovation and cooperation, which will lead us to a future where our country will be not only a participant, but also a contributor in the field of cyber security.
So, the cyber age in which we live has made the world global like nothing else, like never before, so we must have security as well and, together with the Minister of Defense, with the Commander of our army, with our partners, we we are proving through this center that we do not only want to benefit from this cooperation, but also to contribute. There should be both benefit and contribution of everyone together.
Finally, let me thank the Ministry of Defense and the Kosovo Security Force for their commitment and dedication in the creation of this Center, as well as the British and American Embassies for their unstinting and continuous support in the field of cyber security.
Congratulations and thank you!
Last modified: March 13, 2024