The third edition of the RCC’s public opinion survey SecuriMeter has been presented at the Conference, revealing what citizens of the region think about security issues. SecuriMeter was conducted between 14 May and 2 June 2023 among 6,023 people of the region. Data revels that most of the potential emigrants from our region, 62% of them plan long-term stays abroad for years or permanently. Almost half of our citizens, 47% believe disinformation causes more harm in provoking hatred and divisive opinions. They think social media are those most likely to spread the fake news – 46%, followed closely by journalists with 44% and politicians with 38%.

Besides RCC Secretary General the introductory remarks were delivered by Raffaele Grassi, Deputy Chief of the Police, Ministry of Interior of Italy, and Andrea Cascone, Director of the Adriatic and Balkans Unit – General Directorate for the European Union – Ministry of   Foreign A¬ffairs and International Cooperation of Italy. The two-day conference will focus on regional security challenges and threats in the Western Balkans, featuring seven security-related panels, and interactive sessions, working groups, and networking opportunities. It aims to foster in-depth discussions, promote collaboration among stakeholders, and contribute to the security and resilience of the Western Balkans. It is an annual event gathering all regional security practitioners, organisations, and networks dealing with security issues in South East Europe and the Western Balkans, in particular. 8th Security Coordination Conference has been organised by the RCC in cooperation with the Italian Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.