site.btaBulgaria to Join European Centre of Excellence for Civil Crisis Management in 2026

Bulgaria will join the European Centre of Excellence for Civil Crisis Management from January 1, 2026, the Foreign Ministry said on its website on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, Deputy Foreign Minister Elena Shekerletova met with Johanna Sumuvuori, Director of the European Centre of Excellence for Civil Crisis Management in Berlin. During the meeting, Deputy Minister Shekerletova presented the original letter on behalf of Minister Georg Georgiev and Minister Daniel Mitov regarding Bulgaria’s accession to the Centre.

Johanna Sumuvuori congratulated Bulgaria on the unanimous decision of the General Assembly of November 20 to admit the country to the Centre, the Ministry said. She also highly appreciated Bulgaria’s efforts to enhance its contribution to the civilian dimension of the EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP).

Deputy Minister Shekerletova presented Bulgaria’s progress in implementing the Civil CSDP Compact. The Bulgarian diplomat stressed that membership in the Centre will strengthen Bulgaria’s capabilities in civil crisis management through the exchange of specific practices and the provision of concrete advice and expertise tailored to national needs.

Shekerletova invited Johanna Sumuvuori to visit Bulgaria in early 2026 to conduct discussions on the specific parameters of the future partnership.

The European Centre of Excellence for Civil Crisis Management is headquartered in Berlin. The Centre is a service provider supporting its current 24 members and the European External Action Service in fulfilling their commitments under the Civil CSDP Compact. Bulgaria’s membership will begin on January 1 2026, the announcement states.

In early November, the Council of Ministers approved a draft for Bulgaria’s accession to the European Centre of Excellence for Civil Crisis Management.