Israel offered Albania cyber defense assistance on Monday, days after the Balkan state severed diplomatic ties with Iran, accusing Tehran of carrying out cyberattacks against it.
Deputy Foreign Minister Idan Roll met with Albanian Foreign Minister Olta Xhacka on the sidelines of the Feminist Foreign Policy Development Conference in Berlin, where he "offered to share our knowledge and experience in cyber defense" and "expressed Israel's appreciation" for Tirana's decision to expel the Iranian diplomats, he said in a tweet.
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Deputy Foreign Minister Idan Roll and Albanian Foreign Minister Olta Xhacka on the sidelines of the Feminist Foreign Policy Development Conference in Berlin
(Photo: via Twitter)
"We will continue to strengthen cooperation between Israel and Albania," Roll added.
Albania blames Iran for a July 15 cyberattack that temporarily shut down many Albanian government digital services and websites. Over the weekend, Albania's Interior Ministry accused Tehran of another attack that targeted the national police's computer systems.
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said an investigation determined that the July cyberattack was not carried out by independent individuals or groups, calling it a "state aggression."
Iran rejected the accusation, calling it "baseless," saying that Albania's decision to sever diplomatic ties was a "rash action."
"Iran, one of the target countries of cyber attacks on its critical infrastructure, rejects and condemns any use of cyberspace as a tool to attack the critical infrastructure of other countries," its foreign ministry said.
The U.S. Biden administration also assured that it supports Albania’s approach, as the country is a member of NATO.