News

On 5-6 October, the Office in Skopje of the Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania in the Republic of Croatia, together with the European Union (EU) Delegation to North Macedonia and the Europe House network, organised a series of events aimed at sharing Lithuania’s experience in strategic communication, countering disinformation and information threats, and strengthening societal resilience.

On 5 October, at the Faculty of Law of Goce Delčev University in Štip, Dr Nerijus Maliukevičius, Associate Professor at the Institute of International Relations and Political Science of Vilnius University, delivered a public lecture on Lithuania’s experience in countering information threats. Drawing on practical examples, he explained how disinformation spread by hostile states exploits social divisions and public distrust in the state and its institutions.

“Lithuania’s experience shows that resilience to information threats is built through the efforts of society as a whole, with close cooperation between public institutions, academia, independent media and civil society. Countering disinformation and strengthening societal resilience are among the priorities of Lithuania’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2027,” said Vilma Dambrauskienė, Ambassador-at-Large and Head of the Skopje Office of the Embassy of Lithuania.

“Russian operations in the Baltic States and elsewhere in Europe are becoming increasingly aggressive. In addition to disinformation and cyber-attacks, they involve sabotage, arson and other acts causing physical damage. The information operations accompanying these attacks are intended to intimidate societies and fuel distrust in public institutions. Therefore, when strengthening societal resilience, it is essential to help people recognise the links between these threats and to ensure a coordinated institutional response,” emphasised Dr Maliukevičius.

Vilma Dambrauskienė and Dr Maliukevičius also met with professors of the Faculty of Law at Goce Delčev University to discuss opportunities for further developing cooperation, particularly in the fields of strategic communication, countering information threats and strengthening societal resilience.

During a practical workshop with journalists and representatives of non-governmental organisations, Dr Maliukevičius analysed the actors behind information operations, their narratives and the networks through which they are disseminated.

On 6 October, meetings with representatives of the Government Office of North Macedonia, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, and diplomats from the United Kingdom and Sweden focused on Lithuania’s experience of inter-institutional coordination. Discussions also covered future cooperation and the exchange of expertise in strengthening the capacity of North Macedonian institutions to identify and counter information threats in a coordinated manner, while enhancing societal resilience to disinformation.

This was the fourth project in this field implemented by the Office in Skopje of the Embassy of Lithuania in Croatia together with the EU Delegation to North Macedonia, the Europe House network and other partners.