German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt announced on Friday that he intends to establish a rapid response task force to address hybrid threats in the Baltic Sea region, according to dpa.
Dobrindt stated that he would discuss this initiative with his counterparts from other nations bordering the Baltic Sea.
”The aim is to set up a rapid response task force that will enable us to exchange information quickly, particularly in the Baltic Sea region,” he said prior to the start of a conference in the northern city of Flensburg.
”We want to turn this shared threat area into a shared security area,” Dobrindt said. ”Hybrid scenarios are on the rise, becoming more severe, and are omnipresent.”
The minister noted that these threats exist in the air and at sea, but also extend to cyberspace and critical infrastructure.
”We will formulate joint responses on how we intend to deal with an escalating threat,” Dobrindt said, adding that he anticipates a further increase in both the frequency and sophistication of hybrid attacks.
The ongoing management of the Russian shadow fleet will also be a topic during the conference, Dobrindt said.
Representatives from the interior ministries of the Baltic Sea states and Ireland are participating in the conference at the Flensburg Naval Academy.
