Rubin: Serbia is one of the main bases for Russian disinformation in the region

It is clear that the main source of threat in this part of the world is disinformation generated by Russia, James Rubin, Special Envoy and Coordinator of the US State Department’s Global Engagement Center, said today in Skopje.

As Voice of America reports in Macedonian (mk.voanews.com), Rubin, who is visiting parts of the Western Balkans, believes that the region is heavily influenced by manipulations spread by structures linked to Russia and China.

“I would say that the area here is seriously ‘poisoned’, especially by Russian disinformation. President Putin thought he could conquer Ukraine and divide it, but he failed. But that does not mean that Russia does not continue to spread the ‘poison’ of disinformation and division,” he said.

Rubin believes that Serbia is one of the main “bases” from where disinformation and manipulation concerning the region originate.

He argued that claim with the fact that Russian media that support the Kremlin are still operating in Serbia.

According to James Rubin, this influence also affects the Pristina-Belgrade dialogue.

Speaking about Russia, he said that he is sure that there are people in the Kremlin who do not want North Macedonia to progress towards the EU.

“I’m sure they are sitting somewhere thinking about what to do to make this a problem, and all I can say is that the government here will work with us to create a broader societal approach to countering disinformation, with institutions, laws, standards,” Rubin said.

Earlier in Skopje, Rubin held talks on the fight against disinformation with the Prime Minister of North Macedonia, Dimitri Kovacevski, the First Deputy Prime Minister, Artan Grubi, the Minister of Information Society and Administration, Azir Aliu, and the Minister of Local Self-Government, Risto Penov, and separately with the Minister of Defence, Slavjanka Petrovska.

Rubin told Voice of America that it is good that the top of the government of North Macedonia is aware of these problems in their country. He announced increased cooperation between Washington and Skopje, especially at the technical level and the transfer of US experience not only in the fight against disinformation and fake news, but also in the detection of sources.

Rubin will also meet the President of North Macedonia, Stevo Pendarovski, in Skopje tomorrow morning.

Since yesterday, the Special Envoy and Coordinator of the US State Department’s Global Engagement Center has been on a regional tour that started in Montenegro and will include Albania until Friday 14 April./Nova.rs/