NATO's crisis management center in Bulgaria officially accredited

NATO's Crisis Management and Disaster Response Center of Excellence (CMDR COE) in Bulgaria has obtained an official accreditation from the North Atlantic Council, the country's government said Wednesday.

"Now, CMDR COE acts as a NATO military unit with international status under Article XIV of the Paris Protocol," the government said in a statement on its website.

In the future, the center would provide support for the transformation and strengthening of the capacity of the Alliance in the expert field of crisis management and disaster response, the government said.

Over the last two years, the center and the ministry of defense have been working in close cooperation with NATO Headquarters, Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (HQ SACT), NATO Headquarters, and NATO experts on building and strengthening the organization, the statement said.

"The formal accreditation by HQ SACT is the positive outcome of efforts," it said.

"The Center is not intended as operational to react in the event of crises and disasters," the Bulgarian government said.

Its purpose is to provide specialized expertise in support of capability development; improving interoperability and enhancing the education and training of commanders, leaders and units from NATO States and Partner Nations.

It will provide support for testing of the applicability of doctrines; development and validation of concepts through conducting experiments; presenting lessons learned and evaluations in the crisis management and disaster response domain, the statement added. Endit