The Concept of Security Culture Understanding the concept of security culture in a general sense would involve security activities and behaviours that stem from the responsibility and readiness for action of all members of a society, in accordance with their acquired knowledge and skills as well as the accepted values and val­ue orientations, beliefs and attitudes rooted in a given culture and cultural heritage. It is reflected in the way we understand the environment in broad­est terms, perceive the dynamics of social relations(both at an individual and general level), recognise the importance of absolute control over one’s own goods(principle of sovereignty), as well as in the way we identify and define dangers/threats, determine interests and choose means or instru­ments of action in order to protect values and interests(Stanarević, 2012). Security culture can also be viewed in terms of its internal and external manifestations. The internal refer to subjective contemplation of security or the development of the idea of security, whereas the external refer to behaviour in the security sphere, as well as the attitude or approach to se­curity which mainly concerns readiness and ability to respond to challenges and threats, be it in a material or spiritual sense. There is a great deal of common ground between security culture and many similar concepts such as strategic culture, political culture, culture of peace, organisational/corpo­rate culture, safety culture 11 and several others which might be interesting for analysis, particularly in terms of theoretical sources common to all these concepts. Thus, for example, in relation to strategic culture, security culture is seen as a related concept or a subcategory(if viewed in the context of international relations), but it can also be presented as a broader or more 11 It is interesting to highlight the connection between the concepts of safety culture and security culture. The relationship between safety(preventing accidental harm) and security(protecting against intentional threats) cultures is complex and is often emphasized as a key factor in risk management across various systems, especially in industry, energy, and nuclear sec­tors. Safety culture represents a set of values, beliefs, attitudes, and practices within an organisation that promote preventive behaviour and focus on minimizing unintentional errors, accidents, and incidents. Its goal is to ensure that all employees rec­ognize and understand the importance of safety procedures, respond appropriately in crisis situations, and continuously work on improving safety standards. It involves responsibility, education, a culture of openness and transparency, and proactive identification of hazards. Security culture, on the other hand, pertains to the set of values and practices adopted by an organ­isation or society to protect against deliberate threats such as terrorism, sabotage, theft, or technological abuse. It focuses on safeguarding against human factors, sabotage, terrorist attacks, and preserving infrastructure from malicious actions. The Chernobyl nuclear disaster of 1986 is often cited as a key example for understanding the relationship between safety and se­curity cultures. A lack of safety culture was one of the primary causes of the catastrophe. During the design and operation of the reactor, systemic non-compliance with safety procedures, a lack of transparency, and cultural resistance to reporting prob­lems were evident. Inadequate safety culture led to ignoring warnings and underestimating risks, ultimately resulting in cata­strophic explosions and the release of radioactive materials. The security aspect was also neglected, as the system was vulner­able to human errors and sabotage, and there were no adequate mechanisms in place to protect against deliberate malicious actions or terrorist threats. Today, when it comes to nuclear reactors and everything related to nuclear energy, equal impor­tance is given to both safety culture and security culture. Recognizing and integrating both is essential for comprehensive risk management and the prevention of future disasters(Jore, 2020.; Glesner,, et al. 2020, Gandhi, et al, 2013). 46 NATIONAL SECURITY CULTURES- A VIEW FROM THE BALKANS