The founders aim to develop the Centre into a regional hub providing advanced and relevant training for key personnel of public and other critical infrastructures in the region and promoting cooperation on the development of cyber curricula in regional academic institutions.

State Secretary Marko Štucin welcomed the members of the Centre's Steering Committee and noted the efforts of Slovenia, France and Montenegro to strengthen cyber resilience in the Western Balkans region. He underlined that the Centre has already started its mission and created an effective platform for training, exchange of information and best practices in the region, increasing cyber resilience in the region and beyond.

The volume and harmful effects of malicious cyber activity in the region have increased, as has the awareness of the importance of enhancing cyber resilience in the regional security environment. By participating in the establishment of the Centre, Slovenia is delivering on its commitment to support the European perspective of the Western Balkans, thereby strengthening cooperation between all regional stakeholders in the fight against cyber threats.

The Centre successfully launched its first training sessions in May, with the participation of experts from across the Western Balkans region.

The meeting in Ljubljana follows the one in Paris in February this year. The founders aim to establish the Centre as an international organisation with members from the region and beyond, capable of providing stable and long-term support to the region in the cyber field, particularly in the areas of cybersecurity, cybercrime prevention and prosecution, and international cyber cooperation.