NATO crisis management center opens in Bulgaria
20:14, 29 January 2013
SOFIA. January 29. KAZINFORM A conference marking the opening of a NATO Center of Excellence on Crisis Management for Disaster Response kicked off in the Bulgarian capital on Tuesday, according to Xinhua.
"By starting this project, we aim to actively support the Smart Defense Initiative and the NATO transformation process as a whole," Bulgarian Deputy Defense Minister Avgustina Tzvetkova said at the opening ceremony of the two-day event attended by representatives of 10 NATO member states.
Jean-Dominique Duliere, head of the NATO's Crisis Response Systems and Exercises Operations Division, said the center would compliment allied efforts especially in disaster response civil emergency planning and consequence management.
"They assist in doctrine development, identify lessons learned, improve interoperability, capabilities and standards, as well test and validate concepts," he said.
The accreditation of the center is expected mid-year.