Regional Conference on Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference and Disinformation

06.05.2026

Download Speakers

Image for Regional Conference on Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference and Disinformation

Regional Conference on Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI) and Disinformation

REGIONAL CONFERENCE ON FIMI AND DISINFORMATION

📅 6–7 May 2026
📍 Science and Technology Park, Podgorica (Day 1: Conference Hall Unicorn, II floor; Day 2: MVP Conference Room, II floor)

Held under the Chatham House Rule, the conference explores how governments and societies can anticipate (prebunk), prevent, and respond (debunk) to malign information operations. Filming and recording is allowed only in the opening session. The preparation of this conference is supported by the Atlantic Council of Montenegro.

Conference programme:

DAY 1 – Wednesday, 6 May 2026

🕘 09:00 – 09:30 | OPENING REMARKS

Objectives, Chatham House Rule, Expected Outcomes

Conference host: Ms. Vanja Madzgalj, Senior Project Manager, WB3C

Speakers:

Mr. Gilles Schwoerer, WB3C
Mr. Filip Ivanović, PhD, Deputy Prime Minister for Foreign and European Affairs, Government of Montenegro
Mr. Emanuele Giaufret, Deputy Managing Director - Western Europe, European External Action Service (EEAS)
Mr Cosmin Dobran, Director for Peace, Partnerships and Crisis Management, European External Action Service (EEAS)

🕤 09:30 – 10:15 | KEYNOTE ADDRESS

FIMI as a National Security and Governance Challenge

How foreign influence exploits governance gaps — a historical reflection and how states respond without undermining freedoms.

Speaker: Mr. David Colon, PhD, Associate Professor, Sciences Po, France

🕥 10:15 – 11:15 | CASE STUDY

Anatomy of Disinformation Operations: Case Study and Lessons Learned

From storyline to impact: mapping actors, vectors, and decision-making pressure points.

Speaker: Mr. Ronan Mouchoux, Co-founder and CTO, XRATOR, France

☕ 11:15 – 11:45 | NETWORKING BREAK

🕦 11:45 – 12:30 | PANEL 1

How FIMI Operations Actually Work

What distinguishes organic debate from coordinated manipulation? Evidence thresholds: what is enough to act as a government? How can early detection enable prebunking of emerging narratives before they take hold?

Speakers:

Ms. Lejla Turčilo, PhD, Full Professor at the Faculty of Political Science, University of Sarajevo
Mr. Miroslav Sazdovski, Senior Analyst, European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats
Mr. Filip Stojanovski, Metamorphosis Foundation

Moderator: Mr. Marko Banović, Digital Forensic Centre, Montenegro

🕧 12:30 – 13:15 | CASE STUDY

Disrupting a Covert Influence Operation: The REST Media / Rybar Case

A deep dive into a Russian state-affiliated influence operation, examining tactics, attribution, and links to the Western Balkans. The session will also explore how such networks can be exposed and disrupted, including legal and operational approaches to tackling FIMI infrastructure.

Speaker: Mr. Jakub Kubś, PhD, Researcher at GLOBSEC

🍽 13:15 – 14:15 | LUNCH BREAK

🕑 14:15 – 15:00 | PANEL 2

Election Integrity: Building Resilience

A whole-of-society approach to countering FIMI — institutions, platforms, media, and rapid response protocols for the final mile including prebunking of electoral manipulation narratives.

Speakers:

Ms. Milica Kovačević, President, Centre for Democratic Transition (CDT)
Mr. Zlatko Vujović, PhD, CEO of the European Network for Election Monitoring (ENEMO)
Ms. Danijela Vojinović, Centre for Research, Transparency and Accountability (CRTA)
Ms. Madalina Voinea, EFOR, Romania

Moderator: Ms. Olivera Komar, PhD, Full Professor at the Faculty of Political Science, University of Montenegro

🕒 15:00 – 15:45 | PANEL 3

Response Options: What is Legitimate, Effective and Safe

Public communication under uncertainty, legal tools, cross-government coordination, institutional trust, media literacy

Speakers:

Ms. Radica Zeković, Director General at the Directorate for Media, Ministry of Culture and Media of Montenegro
Mr. Jetmir Rajta, Specialist at the Sector for Statistics, Modelling and Indicator Analysis, National Authority for Cybersecurity of Albania

Moderator: Mr. Draško Jabučanin, Analyst, Digital Forensic Centre, Montenegro

🕓 15:45 – 16:00 | DAY 1 CLOSING

Reflection and Family Photo

DAY 2 – Thursday, 7 May 2026

🕘 09:00 – 09:15 | MORNING BRIEFING AND OPENING REMARKS

Recap & Key Takeaways

Speaker: Ms. Sofia Badari, Programme Manager for Cybersecurity, DG ENEST

🕤 09:15 – 10:15 | PANEL 4

Safeguarding the European Path: Building Resilience in the Western Balkans

Strengthening institutions, defending public trust, and reducing vulnerabilities to foreign interference.

Speakers:

Ms. Biljana Papović, State Secretary, Ministry for European Affairs of Montenegro
Ms. Natalie Pauwels, Head of the Strategic Coordination and Communication Unit, DG ENEST
Mr. Miroslav Sazdovski, Senior Analyst, European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats
Ms. Armela Krasniqi, Chairwoman of the Audiovisual Media Authority of Albania

Moderator: Nikoleta Đukanović, PhD, Associate Professor, Faculty for Humanistic Studies, University Donja Gorica

🕤 10:15 – 10:25 | INSIGHT

Election Integrity in the Age of FIMI: Lessons from Election Observation

Speakers: Ms. Jelena Stefanović, MPA, Political and Election Expert, OSCE; Serbia

🕥 10:25 – 11:10 | PANEL 5

Judicial Response to FIMI and Disinformation
From digital evidence to prosecution of FIMI. Strengthening rule of law in the digital space.

Speakers:

Ms. Audrey Gerbaud, Deputy Prosecutor at the Paris Judicial Court, Cyber Department J3
Mr. Arben Murtezić, PhD, Legal Counsel at the Office of Vice President of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Ms. Marina Barbir, Judge at Higher Court in Belgrade
Mr. Ivan Jokić, Head of Head of the Criminal Intelligence Division at the Police Administration of Montenegro

Moderator: Ms. Ana Bukilić, Programme Manager at IDLO

☕ 11:10 – 11:40 | NETWORKING BREAK

🕦 11:40 – 12:40 | PANEL 6

Media on the Frontline of the Fight Against Disinformation

How media organisations detect, verify, respond to, and build resilience against disinformation, including AI-generated content with a focus on debunking practices and audience trust.

Speakers:

Mr. Nicolas Goinard, Journalist, Ouest-France
Mr. Marko Banović, Analyst, Digital Forensic Centre
Ms. Adelina Hasani, PhD, Head of Research at Kosovar Institute for Policy Research and Development (KIPRED)
Ms. Sunčica Bakić, Director, Agency for Audio-Visual Media Services of Montenegro

Moderator: Olivera Nikolić, Director of Montenegro Media Institute

🕧 12:40 – 14:10 | INTERACTIVE EXERCISE

War Game: Tabletop Simulation

Mixed country groups with assigned roles. Injects: manipulated video, leaked documents, coordinated hashtags, proxy media, diaspora channels, offline incidents. Participants will test both prebunking and debunking responses under time pressure.

Facilitators:

Mr. Ronan Mouchoux, Co-founder and CTO, XRATOR
Mr. Nicolas Goinard, Journalist, Ouest-France

🕑 14:10 – 14:15 | CLOSING REMARKS

Conference Wrap-up

🍽 14:15 – 15:15 | LUNCH

✈️ DEPARTURE

Speakers

Open Speakers PDF

Downloads:

FIMI-and-Disinformation-Conference-FINAL-AGENDA.pdf

Other news and events

Visit by CBRN Centres of Excellence Project 101

WB3C was pleased to meet with representatives of the EU CBRN Centres of Excellence Project 101 to discuss potential cooperation in strengthening critical infrastructure protection and security.
The exchange with Alexandre Custaud, EU CBRN CoE Project 101 Team Leader and Scott S. focused on possible synergies between cybersecurity, CBRN risk mitigation and broader critical infrastructure resilience. As threats to essential services become increasingly interconnected, cross-sector cooperation is essential to support more coordinated, practical, and future-oriented capacity building.
WB3C team Gilles Schwoerer and Maja Miranovic stressed that sectoral approach in building resilience for critical infrastructure is central in our 3-year EU funded programme and expressed readiness to explore areas where our respective expertise and regional engagement can contribute to stronger resilience and security.

Police officers complete demanding 15-month journey from investigator to digital forensics graduate

When fourteen police investigators recently graduated from WB3C's Digital Forensics programme delivered in partnership with the University of Technology of Troyes (UTT), the public saw the final result: internationally recognised diplomas, successful thesis defences and a new generation of specialised cybercrime investigators.

Less visible was the work that took place behind the scenes to get there.

For fifteen months, participants balanced full-time operational duties with a university-level programme requiring approximately 1,400 hours of study. While continuing to investigate cybercrime cases and fulfil their professional responsibilities, they attended classes, completed practical assignments, conducted research and prepared professional theses.

As the programme entered its final stage, WB3C and UTT intensified their support to help participants navigate one of the most demanding parts of the academic journey: the preparation and defence of their final papers.

Participants received detailed guidance on thesis writing, academic standards and defence procedures applied by UTT. Following the submission of their papers, mentors conducted individual reviews and provided detailed feedback, recommendations and improvement points. Students then worked through revisions and refinements before receiving final confirmation that their work met the required academic standards.

Throughout this process, mentors remained available for consultations, questions and individual support, ensuring that participants could successfully bridge the gap between operational expertise and academic requirements.

The final result was more than a successful examination. It demonstrated the determination of investigators who committed to a demanding programme while remaining on active duty, and the value of sustained mentorship and international cooperation in building specialised cybercrime capabilities.

The graduation of all fourteen participants stands as a testament not only to their professional competence, but also to the perseverance required to complete a rigorous university programme alongside the realities of modern law enforcement work.

Advancing Cyber Resilience of Critical Entities through ISO 27001 Training

This week, at Western Balkans Cyber Capacity Centre (WB3C) we are running a three-day training on ISO/IEC 27001:2022, delivered in cooperation with our partner Čikom and led by its CISO and SOC Manager Mladen Bukilic.

As countries across the region advance their alignment with European cybersecurity requirements, organisations responsible for public services and critical functions face growing expectations to manage risks in a systematic and measurable way.
The training introduces participants to the principles of Information Security Management Systems (ISMS), covering topics such as risk assessment, security governance, incident management, internal audits and continual improvement. Through practical exercises and case studies, participants develop the tools needed to translate security requirements into organisational practice.
More than a compliance exercise, ISO 27001 provides a framework for protecting information assets, strengthening organisational resilience and building trust in an increasingly interconnected environment.
The activity is delivered within the regional project "Improving the Resilience of Critical Entities and the Protection of Public Spaces and Cyberspace against Security Threats in the Western Balkans", funded by the European Union.