Security Dialogues

MULTIDISCIPLINARY ANALYSIS OF UNCONVENTIONAL METHODS OF SPECIAL FORCES AND THEIR IMPACT ON NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL SECURITY

2025-07-14T12:28:42+02:00

This research examines the unconventional tactics and strategies inherent in special
forces, focusing on methods such as diversion, sabotage, assassination, and subversion. We
analyse how these strategies affect national and international security using a multidisciplinary
approach that incorporates theoretical frameworks from criminology, political science, and
security studies. The article reveals the complex interactions between special tactics and
broader security dynamics, highlighting how they can simultaneously serve as instruments to
achieve political goals and raise significant ethical and legal dilemmas. The research results
provide deeper insight into the mechanisms of special operations and their consequences,
offering practical guidelines for shaping effective responses to security challenges in the
modern world. This article is not only theoretically relevant but also has direct practical
implications for security policies and strategies at the global level.

CONTROL OVER THE SECURITY SERVICES AS AN INDICATOR OF THE POLITICAL SYSTEM

2025-07-14T12:30:23+02:00

Liberal democracy as a current and dominant political model in the world represents
a kind of equilibrium of a multitude of social relations and connections between the people
who make up the society. Democracy as a form of political arrangement has freedom and
equality in its essence.In order to enable or realize these two main postulates, society creates
a system based on norms and institutions, which in turn model the citizenship of man today.
Part of the institutions of the system are the security institutions, whose main mission is the
guarantor of one of the basic human motives, security. The security services, like no other
institution, in the realization of their mission use means and methods whose possible abuse
devastates the entire political system and society in general. This is the foundation of the
need for adequate control that will ensure their legal operation. Legality in the operation of
the security services is imperative because their work methodology encroaches on the most
basic human rights, they have information whose misuse is a flagrant violation of human
freedom and rights. A fact that is established in the history of mankind.
The world, the region and our country are witnessing the abuse of these institutions, which
created great consequences for the future. Macedonia has witnessed several abuses of these
institutions since independence until now. The last abuse that was discovered in 2015, with
the illegal wiretapping, is the largest so far in terms of its scope and substance. From it,
materials were illegally created for a large part of the political and media public, the business
community, the judiciary, the prosecutor’s office as well as other segments of society. Even
today, the dilemma about the integrity of the persons and the institutions managed by
them, for which there is material from the illegal wiretapping, is still relevant. It is legitimate
to question whether we can call ourselves a free society if a large part of the elite daily
performs important duties aware that someone owns a part of their privacy. Therefore, it is
quite natural that the quality of the control of the security services rises to the rank of an
indicator of the degree of democracy in a society. Macedonia has entered the fourth decade
of liberal democratic life, from a legal and normative point of view it is creating a model of
parliamentary and civil control of services, but the practice is disappointing, confronting us
with the fact that the form has no substance, that the declarative differs from the real.

APPLYING NEGOTIATION PROCESS – THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL UNDERSTANDINGS

2025-07-14T12:30:55+02:00

There is no doubt that conflicts (violent or non-violent) are an integral part of the
relations between different actors at both, the national, regional and international levels.
Starting from this conclusion, there is an inevitable need for applying appropriate strategies
and approaches that will enable their efficient and successful management and resolution.
It is exactly from such aspect that the significance of the negotiation process arises as an
instrument for peaceful resolution of open issues or disputes, through the establishment and
realization of communication between the opposing parties. However, as the experience to
date in this regard shows, the realization of the negotiation process is not always established
and realized in accordance with the projected visions. Hence, the focus of this paper is
specifically directed towards the analysis of the negotiation process essence, mainly through
the prism of some of the existing theoretical and practical aspects in this regard. Specifically,
by analyzing the characteristics of the basic elements, phases and models of the negotiation
process, the aim is closer identification of the main challenges and perspectives related to
the applicability of the negotiation process.

THE EUROPEAN UNION AND FOOD INSECURITY AS A LOOMING THREAT

2025-07-14T12:31:22+02:00

From climate change to ethnic conflicts, from pandemics to cyber terrorism,
humanity faces many non-traditional, multi-dimensional and complex security threats in the
21st century. Food security is one of these challenges that concerns the whole world and
requires global solutions. The European Union (EU), as one of the actors with the highest
level of welfare and providing the most humanitarian aid in the world, is not currently facing
a serious food crisis. However, the adverse effects of climate change and the challenges that
the Union has recently faced, such as the European debt crisis, the Covid-19 pandemic, and
the Russia-Ukraine war, have brought food security to the top of the EU agenda. This study
aims to research the issue of food insecurity in the European Union. The main argument of
the study is that food security is not currently an acute problem for the European Union,
but it is a looming threat. Although the EU has addressed food insecurity within the scope
of agricultural policy until recently, in today’s “overheated” world full of natural disasters,
economic crises, wars and conflicts, food security is now requiring a multidimensional
approach, including economic, energy, health, environmental and social policies.

COMMON SECURITY DENOMINATOR OF THE WESTERN NALKANS IN THE THIRD DECADE OD 21ST CENTURY: RISKS, OBSTACLES AND OPPORTUNITIES

2025-07-14T12:32:09+02:00

The purpose of this paper is to identify the key security risks in the area of the
Western Balkans, which are actually the common denominator in attempts at cooperation,
coordination and integration in the field of creating defense and security policies, on regional
and national level. Apart from the identification of security risks that determine the viability
of Western Balkan actors, the fact that it is a region that is not fully integrated within the
NATO defense and security infrastructure, partial integration will be used as a variable in the
analysis of cooperation opportunities, in the political and contractual context. Finally, the
capacities of regional cooperation in the field of security, determined by bilateral and regional
agreement frameworks, will be presented. The contribution of this work in a scientific sense
will be the answer to the question of how much the potential joint action of small states in
the face of modern security risks affects the process of creating security sustainability at the
individual (state) level, as the ultimate goal in understanding national interests.

KEY COMMITMENTS AND EXPECTATIONS FROM THE 2024 NATO SUMMIT IN WASHINGTON

2025-07-14T12:32:39+02:00

In the period from 9 until 11 July, 2024, the 75 anniversary Summit of the Heads
of State and Government of the Alliance was held in Washington, in the conditions of a
conventional threat to the security of the Alliance and in a time of war on the soil of Europe.
NATO leaders discussed strategically important issues related to deterrence and defense,
long-term support for Ukraine and cooperation with the Alliance’s global partners. The
focus in strengthening the Alliance’s defense and deterrence is placed through “investing
in new, modern high-end military capabilities” and “increasing the readiness of our forces,”
(Stoltenberg, 2024) all underpinned by major increases in defence spending across the
Alliance by supporting the increase in defense spending.
I have suggested that at the Summit, we agree a big NATO role in coordinating and providing
security assistance and training for Ukraine,” he said. “I strongly believe that we need a
firmer, stronger institutionalized structure for the support. Ad-hoc, short term, voluntary
announcements are good – but in the long term, we need more predictable, stronger support
for Ukraine. In relation to the support of Ukraine, NATO is expected to increase its role in
the coordinating and providing security assistance and training for Ukraine. According to
Stoltenberg, this implies the establishment of a “firmer, stronger institutionalized structure”
that will ensure a more predictable and sustainable long-term support of Ukraine. Cooperation
with partners is crucial for security and stability because security is not only a regional issue
but also a global issue.

NATO AND SECURITY IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA IMPACT AND CHALLENGES

2025-07-14T12:33:09+02:00

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), comprised of 32 member states
from North America and Europe, represents the largest military and political alliance of
today. Membership in NATO is widely accepted as a guarantee of security, but it has been
a subject of political conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina for an extended period, as well
as in other countries in the region. Currently, all Western Balkan countries (Albania, North
Macedonia, and Montenegro) except Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Serbia are
full members of NATO. Under the guise of military neutrality, the Republic of Serbia rejects
the desire for full NATO membership, citing the NATO bombing of the then Federal Republic
of Yugoslavia in 1999 as a key argument against joining. Bosnia and Herzegovina initially had
unanimous support for full NATO membership after the signing of the General Framework
Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, but over time, this support weakened and
transformed into open opposition from representatives of the Republika Srpska entity. The
lack of a pragmatic and thorough assessment of the interests of joining NATO, considering
regional and global developments, Russian influence on the Balkans and the fact that there
is a new reordering of the fragmented order in which military-political neutrality loses its
meaning, further complicates the integration process in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Analyze of
the impact of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s membership in NATO and its consequences are in
focus of this paper.

CONTEMPORARY REFLECTIONS ON THE INTERSECTIONS OF POLITICS, CORRUPTION AND SPORTS

2025-07-14T12:33:37+02:00

This paper aims to present the negative impacts of politics and corruption on
sports as a social phenomenon, which, due to such malign influences, is increasingly moving
away from its original humanistic concept. The impact of politics and corruption is driving
sports towards dehumanisation and national, religious, and racial discrimination of all its
participants. Sports have become a battleground for power struggles between superpowers
and small states, with nationalism and xenophobia imposing characteristics that contradict
the very essence of sports.
Today, sports are a crucial aspect of the ideological operations of systems that use sports
to solve certain problems or as a mobilising force to support the system. Often, sports are
treated as a means of achieving the basic ideological goals of society or the government.
Sports have become an ideological tool to deceive the masses and maintain the control of
the ruling powers. The integration of politics, sports, and power allows sports to be turned
into entertainment for the masses, and under the motto “bread and circuses,” the people are
turned into an audience, a crowd, which, through repressive behaviour control, absorbs social
discontent arising from the marginal social position of certain groups.
Sports are suitable for influencing the masses, especially the youth, and for affirming various
political ideologies and social anomalies and irregularities. Therefore, corruption, a negative
phenomenon that has not spared sports despite its initially noble assumptions, is not new. In
one form or another, it has always existed. Corruption appears in various forms throughout
sports, undermining honesty, fair play, and trust in the game. The increasing amounts of
money inherent in sports make this industry susceptible to corruption, while the participants
become addicted to power, elitism, and betting.

RESHAPING NORTH MACEDONIA: THE NAME CHANGE AND THE PRESPA AGREEMENT

2025-07-14T12:34:07+02:00

The Balkans have been a significant region in political history. Despite being a
small, mountainous country without a coastline, Macedonia’s territory has been a significant
region throughout history, attracting the attention of major powers due to its strategic
location. Following the breakup of Yugoslavia in 1991, Macedonia declared its independence.
During this period, Greece reacted strongly against the independence. In this context, North
Macedonia has been experiencing a name and other crisis. According to Greece, Macedonia
doesn’t have the territory to use this name, flag, and the national anthem. In addition, they
blame to Macedonia with appropriate to Greek cultural values as, Vergina Sun, Alexander
the Great. Also, the statue of Alexander the Great built in the center of Skopje, renaming
of Skopje airport to “Alexander the Great Airport,” and the description of the Thessaloniki
Tower on the Macedonian currency have all been perceived as provocative actions by Greece.
Greece identifies Macedonia’s historical and cultural heritage with its own identity, while
the presence of minorities also raises concerns. Additionally, the fact that the preamble
of the “Constitution of the Republic of Macedonia” states that the principles of the 1944
ASNOM Declaration are inherited and emphasizes that Macedonians living in the territories
of Greece and Bulgaria will be united under the Macedonian Socialist Republic, constitutes
one of the main reasons for Greece’s concerns. Greece has clearly opposed the use of the
name “Macedonia” by rejecting both the existence of the Macedonian minority living within
its borders and the recognition of the Macedonian nation. Greece has created international
pressure for the resolution of the name issue by blocking Macedonia’s NATO and European
Union membership process. After the discussions, the Prespa Agreement was signed in 2018
(Gounaris & Kofos, 2019).

NATIONAL SECURITY OF THE REPUBLIC OF NORTH MACEDONIA AND ITS COHERENT IMPLEMENTATION OF NATIONAL INTERESTS

2025-07-14T12:34:34+02:00

National security is a segment that is considered from the perspective of an integral
part of the theory of regional security complex. The focus of this paper is to determine
the relevance of the state national interests, with special reference to giving appropriate
proposals in the part of better management of them in the future and its more adequate
complementarity during the renewal of strategies. The necessity of rebuilding the national
interests is necessary in order to monitor the fight against modern threats. The need to
specify long-term national interests is of vital importance for every modern state, so our
state needs to build a solid foundation for the analogous functioning of all segments of the
state system by specifically defining strategic national interests based on the existing ones.
Analogous to what was written, certain theoretical proposals were given that would be useful
in terms of the survival of national interests as the core of a state and a guide for further
strategic challenges.

NEED ASSESSMENT OF UKRAINIAN REFUGEES IN NORTH MACEDONIA

2025-07-14T12:34:59+02:00

Between mid-May and mid-June 2022, 10 students from the Faculty of Philosophy,
supported by 3 Ukrainian language interpreters, conducted 49 interviews with refugees from
Ukraine, overall covering 244 individuals in Skopje, Ohrid, Stip and Bitola. This report presents
the main findings relating to refugees’ profiles, intentions, and needs, aiming to provide an
evidence-based document to support advocacy interventions that will be most beneficial to
these refugees, complementary support to the one to be provided by the government as well
as individual assistance when/if needed.
Key findings
• The majority of refugees from Ukraine are women and children, with high levels
of education and diverse professional skills among adults
• While most refugees hope to return to Ukraine one day, for the time being, the
majority plan to stay in their current host country