Discussed the role of the internet and social media in spreading radical narratives, disinformation and propaganda

It is crucial that Montenegro continues to recognize new security challenges in a timely manner and that synergy between the state and local levels remains the most important pillar of prevention and community protection.

This was concluded at the meeting by representatives of the National Interdepartmental Operational Team for the Prevention and Suppression of Violent Extremism, Terrorism, Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism (NOT) - National Coordinator Petar Koprivica and Deputy National Coordinator Dragana Kažanegra Stanišić, European Union Regional Advisor for Counter-Terrorism and Security in the Western Balkans Edi Grif and the Mayor of Bar Dušan Raičević.

Representatives of NOT and Grif were on a working visit to that local government, where they met with Raičević and his associates.

"This visit is part of the regular NOT activities aimed at visiting local governments and strengthening cooperation in the field of security. After previous meetings in Bijelo Polje, Rožaje, Plav and Ulcinj, in Bar, the work of the interdepartmental body was first presented, an overview of strategic documents that are in the updating phase was given, as well as the Joint Action Plan for the Western Balkans in the field of combating terrorism, which provided a comprehensive overview of joint efforts in this area," the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MUP) announced.

A special emphasis of the talks, as they said, was on the formation of local teams that will be dedicated to preventive activities, with the aim of strengthening community resilience and reducing the risk of the emergence of extremist and radical patterns of behavior.

Raičević informed the NOT representatives that there is already a developed local team for the prevention of peer violence in Bar, and they discussed the possibility of expanding its competences to include the prevention of extremism and radicalization. Special attention was paid to the role of the internet and social networks in the spread of radical narratives, disinformation and propaganda.

NOT representatives announced further development of capacities for online monitoring and removal of harmful content, through specialized units and stronger cooperation with technology companies.

Activities aimed at developing counter-narratives, combating disinformation, and strengthening the media and digital literacy of young people are also planned, in order to increase their resilience to manipulation and extremist content, the Ministry of Interior announced.

Griff "expressed support for this form of cooperation as an example of good practice," emphasizing that the EU will support activities in that direction.

"In all these processes, Montenegro relies on the strong support of the European Union, especially through cooperation with Europol and the EU Internet Forum Knowledge Hub, which provide technical tools and operational mechanisms to improve security," the statement reads.