Peace and security are not free, they have a price that we must be willing to pay in order to guarantee them, said Bulgarian President and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces Rosen Plevneliev in his speech at the opening in Sofia of NATO’s Crisis Management and Disaster Response Centre of Excellence - CMDR COE. This is the first NATO structure on Bulgarian territory and is part of the network of competence centers of the Alliance. The center is a result of joint efforts of Bulgaria, Greece, Poland and the Allied Command Transformation in Norfolk, Virginia, USA.

"No country, no matter how big and strong it may be, is self-sufficient,” the President said. “No country could ensure its security alone and this applies fully to Bulgaria. We would always be weak when isolated, and strong - when we are integrated into a family of democratic nations. We are to work for a stronger Bulgarian presence in initiatives and projects within the framework of NATO and the EU."

Instability and the conflicts in Ukraine, the Middle East and North Africa have changed security environment in Europe and brought challenges to NATO countries that require a joint response, President Plevneliev added. According to him, in addition to the asymmetric threats and risks, NATO allies must be prepared to counter effectively the new "hybrid" type of actions aimed at destabilization and confrontation. President Plevneliev says that only the collective security and defense system of NATO can guarantee independence, the protection of human rights, democracy and the rule of law.

“The Smart Defense, Connected Forces, and Framework Nations initiatives enable member states to contribute to collective security through specialization and cooperation. I hope Bulgaria will be more active in the implementation of joint projects, as well as in the establishment of joint defense capabilities with the armed forces of our neighbors and partners. Bulgaria is a leading nation in the establishment of this center and this shows our ambitions to be an active participant in the integration processes," President Plevneliev said.

Defense Minister Velizar Shalamanov, who also attended the opening, said that Bulgaria’s experience allows the center to be a serious tool for improving cooperation between NATO and the EU.

"It's important for us as Bulgarians and hosts of this center to demonstrate the growing experience of different departments and organizations, including NGOs,” Minister Shalamanov added. “The main objective of the center is to support development in this direction. The development of Bulgaria in this particular area is related to our desire to build a bridge of cooperation to the EU. Crisis management is a shared responsibility in the region and in Europe as a whole. Past experience, including the portfolio of Bulgarian EU Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva, allows this center to become a serious tool for improving cooperation between NATO and the EU," Minister Velizar Shalamanov said. According to him, it was necessary to increase the number of countries participating in the center.

The center will be collecting data and analyzing various crisis situations. The aim is through sharing Bulgarian experience with that of NATO allies to improve the quality of crisis response. "This is not an operational unit, which responds to disasters. This is a cluster group of expert database about what is happening not only in Bulgaria but in Europe, used for the needs of Bulgaria, Poland, and Greece, and the interests of NATO," said the center’s director, Colonel Vasil Roussinov.

The center is expected to receive accreditation from the North Atlantic Council soon, which will give it international status.

English: Alexander Markov