Experts: Moldova needs to urgently build its resilience to a new era of hybrid threats

Moldova needs to urgently build its resilience to a new era of hybrid threats, according to a public  discussion organised by IWPR and the country’s Foreign Policy Association.

According to experts, hybrid threats can range from attacks to diplomatic pressure, economic sanctions and the spread of fake news.

Particular impact in this case is the media that broadcast information from the Russian Federation. According to the public opinion barometer of January 2019, in Republic of Moldova, Russian-language press networks and re-broadcasting of Russian channels exceed the local average. The main source of information of the country is still Prime (a channel that redistributes ORT, the main Russian television channel) and RTR Moldova (a channel that transmits the Russian RTR). In addition,  Russian social networks Vkontakte and Odnoklassniki are used by many moldovans.

“The event organised by IWPR was the first ever platform where stakeholders from all key government and non-governmental sectors came together to address the issue,” said Dumitru Tira, managing director of the Institute for the Prevention of Hybrid Threats.

Representative of the Ministry of Defense Aurel Fondos said that a national strategy for combating hybrid threats is currently being worked on.

In conclusion, those meeting at the event developed a set of recommendations that include the further development of a national strategy and better coordination between stakeholders.

Source: https://iwpr.net/global-voices/moldova-battles-hybrid-threat