The war in Ukraine has dramatically recentred the international conversation and European agenda around questions of security cooperation and collective approaches to crisis response. From cyber-attacks on critical infrastructure to proliferation of cybercrime or coordinated information manipulation operations, the war in Ukraine – but also malicious activities during the COVID-19 pandemic - have put into stark focus the role of cybersecurity and the digital landscape in both shaping and responding to crises. But they have also brought to the fore the importance of countering the negative impact that any conflict or crisis have on digital growth and development.
Bringing the Eastern Partnership countries closer to the EU’s cyber ecosystem is an important element for building a secure environment for digital development, better connectivity and better access to the digital economy and society. But strengthening the EU partnership with the Eastern Partnership countries will require cooperation at both the technical and political level, and a more comprehensive understanding of the internal and external dimensions of cybersecurity policy.
On 4-6 July 2022, the EU Cyber Diplomacy Initiative – EU Cyber Direct in cooperation with the Georgian Center for Security and Development (GCSD) organised a series of activities with partners from the European Union, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine aimed to better understand the security environment across the region, identify common interests and opportunities for cooperation in strengthening cyber resilience at the national, regional and global levels.
