On 27 February 2023, the IISG Secretariat visited the Police Directorate of Republika Srpska in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The main purpose of the meeting was to provide introductory information and state of play of the IISG work to the Police Director of Republika Srpska, Mr. Siniša Kostrešević. The meeting discussed The role of
The Head of IISG Secretariat Mr. Agron Sojati was invited to deliver a presentation on the IISG state of play at the high-level meeting on “Fight against High Risk Criminal Networks identified, with a special emphasis on encrypted platforms”, organised by the Italian Ministry of Interior. The meeting took place in Tivat, Montenegro, on the
Following the finalisation of the process of analysis for the response mapping reports, the IISG Secretariat organised the 5th Regional Support Group meeting on Pillar 2 - Western Balkans Counter Serious Crime initiative (WBCSCi), on 25th of April 2023, in Tirana. Representatives of Western Balkans Partners, CEPOL, OSCE, Austria, Bulgaria, Italy, Greece, and GIZ discussed
Following the finalisation of the process of analysis of the response mapping reports for 2021 and 2022, the IISG Secretariat organised the Regional Support Working Group meeting for Pillar 1, Western Balkans Counter-Terrorism initiative (WBCTi) on 27th of April 2023, in Budva. Representatives of Western Balkans Partners, DG NEAR, Austria, Italy, Greece, Slovenia, and USA
The IISG Secretariat organised the 5th Regional Support Group meeting for Pillar 3, Western Balkans Border Security initiative (WBBSi), on the 28th of April 2023 in Skopje. This meeting focused on consultations related to finalising the response mapping reports for the years 2021 and 2022. The IISG Database was also discussed during the consultations, with
The IISG Secretariat was invited to take part in the Closing Conference of Countering Serious Crime in the Western Balkans (CSCWB). The project concluded with a two-day closing conference held in Rome on 29 and 30 May 2023. The conference aimed to highlight the achievements, impact, and sustainability of the project, as well as foster
The IISG Secretariat and ARK IT held a meeting on 1st of June 2023 in Tirana, Albania. The meeting focused on updating the IISG Database to better align with the objectives of WBCTi, WBCSCi, and WBBSi pillars. Discussions centered on improving functionality, data management, and addressing funding limitations. Proposed enhancements include adding project icons with
On 2nd of June 2023, the IISG Secretariat held a meeting with representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) in Tirana, the Regional Directorate for Western Balkans, the Directorate for Security and NATO, and the Protocol Team, to deliberate on pivotal matters in preparation for the upcoming Tirana Berlin Process in regard to interior
The IISG Secretariat, in collaboration with ARK IT, organised the IISG Database and Website Working Sessions at the ARK IT premises in Tirana, Albania, on 14-15 August 2023. The meeting led to a clearer plan for improving and up keeping the IISG Database and Website. It also reinforced the partnership between the IISG team and
On the 5th and 6th of September 2023 in Budva Montenegro, the IISG Secretariat participated in a workshop organised by the WB Regional Hub for Strong Cities Network which addressed terrorism and extremism issues. The IISG Head of Secretariat Mr. Agron Sojati moderated a panel on developing strategies for preventing violent extremism. Discussions with various
On 12th September 2023, HoS met with NEAR in Brussels to discuss the draft IISG DoA for the next phase (2024-2026). IISG Secretariat had sent the draft earlier on, pointing out proposals from the external evaluation report as well as proposals for changes to better respond to new challenges on the IISG agenda. The DoA
The IISG Secretariat held a meeting with DG NEAR on the 16th of October 2023 on Database Enhancement and Future Activities. The meeting was held to review the successful enhancement of the IISG Database and plan future collaboration between IISG and DG NEAR. Key outcomes were such as the IISG Database upgrade being successful, making
