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 (Conference Hall Unicorn, 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: Vanja Madzgalj, Senior Project Manager, WB3C

Speakers:

• Gilles Schwoerer, WB3C
• Filip Ivanović, Deputy Prime Minister for Foreign and European Affairs, Montenegro
• EU representative (TBC)

🕤 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: 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: 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:

• Lejla Turčilo, PhD, Full Professor at the Faculty of Political Science, University of Sarajevo
• Miroslav Sazdovski, Senior Analyst, European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats
• Filip Stojanovski, Metamorphosis Foundation
• Miloš Nikolić, Acting Director General, General Directorate for NATO and Security Policy, Ministry of Foreign affairs of Montenegro

Moderator: 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: 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:

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

Moderator: 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:

• Thibaud Perrard (Mhack), THUCY, Cybersecurity expert and founder of Offensive Intelligence
• Radica Zeković, Director General at the Directorate for Media, Ministry of Culture and Media of Montenegro
• Jetmir Rajta, Specialist at the Sector for Statistics, Modelling and Indicator Analysis, National Authority for Cybersecurity of Albania

Moderator: 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

Recap & Key Takeaways

🕤 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:

• Biljana Papović, State Secretary, Ministry for European Affairs of Montenegro
• Natalie Pauwels, Head of the Strategic Coordination and Communication Unit, DG ENEST
• Miroslav Sazdovski, Senior Analyst, European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats
• 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: 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:

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

Moderator: 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:

• Nicolas Goinard, Journalist, Ouest-France
• Marko Banović, Analyst, Digital Forensic Centre
• Adelina Hasani, PhD, Head of Research  at Kosovar Institute for Policy Research and Development (KIPRED)
• 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:

• Ronan Mouchoux, Co-founder and CTO, XRATOR
• Thibaud Perrard (Mhack), THUCY, Cybersecurity expert and founder of Offensive Intelligence
• Nicolas Goinard, Journalist, Ouest-France 

🕑 14:10 – 14:15 | CLOSING REMARKS

Conference Wrap-up 

🍽 14:15 – 15:15 | LUNCH  

✈️ DEPARTURE

WB3C took part in the III International Conference of the Association of Security Managers of Montenegro on 17-18 April in Budva, attended by security professionals from Montenegro and the region.

Every year, the conference creates a platform for discussion on how the security landscape is evolving, particularly in light of rapid technological change.
WB3C had the opportunity to contribute to the panel exploring “The Role of the CISO in the Post Quantum Era: Risks, Investments and Operational Shifts.” The discussion addressed what the emergence of quantum technologies means in practice: for cryptography, data protection, risk management and ultimately for how organisations structure and empower their security leadership.
Across the conference, one message was consistent: cyber resilience is becoming a core governance issue, not just a technical one. In this context, regional cooperation and alignment with European and international partners remain essential. 

Our colleagues Gilles Schwoerer and Maja Miranovic took this opportunity to congratulate Dragan Radulović on his election as the next President of the Southeastern Europe Corporate Security Association (SEECSA).

Last week at WB3C, we wrapped up a four-day training on Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI) focused on the energy sector and government infrastructure, led by Ljuban Petrovic.

Working with SOC, CSIRT and CERT teams from across the region, the training reinforced a simple point: CTI only matters when it informs decisions. When it helps prioritise. When it changes how teams prepare and respond.
The sectoral focus proved its value. Energy infrastructure comes with its own risk landscape, and the discussions reflected that reality—specific, operational, and directly relevant.

We are continuing this work in September, building on what started here.
Because strengthening resilience is not a one-off effort. It is something that develops over time, through practice, exchange, and trust.