The western Balkans have emerged as a significant vector for foreign-directed hybrid interference—particularly by Russia—combining cyber-operations, disinformation and the exploitation of local governments and ethnic vulnerabilities, alongside the activities of transnational organized crime networks that are increasingly incorporating sophisticated cybercrime capabilities.
To what extent does Canada assess the region as a staging ground or platform for cyber-attacks, hybrid operations or criminal enterprises that could directly or indirectly threaten Canadian national security, critical infrastructure, democratic institutions or economic interests? What diplomatic capacity-building, intelligence-sharing and law enforcement co-operation initiatives are Canadian missions in the Balkans undertaking in coordination with our Five Eyes partners to strengthen resilience in the region and to mitigate spillover risks to Canada?