CMDR COE Change of Command Ceremony
Date: (10-01-2019)
On January 9, 2019 the CMDR COE "Change of Command" Ceremony took place at the Lozenets Residence in Sofia.
Colonel Vassil Roussinov relinquished the position of a Director of the Center to Colonel Orlin Nikolov, former Chief of Capabilities Branch, who assumed the command. The ceremony was attended by high representatives from the Sponsoring Nations: the Republic of Bulgaria, Hellenic Republic and Republic of Poland as well as distinguished guests from governmental entities and academia.
In the presence of the Bulgarian Deputy Minister of Defence Mr Atanas Zapryanov and Deputy Minister of Interior Mr Milko Berner, the protocol for formal change of command procedure was signed by the Deputy Chief of Defence of Bulgaria Vice Admiral Emil Eftimov.
"I am proud of the work we have done together with the leadership of MODs of Sponsoring Nations and all personnel of the CMDR COE and I am sure the new director, Colonel Nikolov will continue successfully the great job we have done by so far”, expressed Colonel Roussinov in addressing to the Change of Command ceremony.
In his turn Colonel Nikolov took also the opportunity to praise the work of the Center and expressed gratitude to Colonel Roussinov’s high professionalism, dedication and sincere commitment to.
Afterwards consecutively in speeches Mr Zparayanov, Vice Admiral Eftimov and Lt Gen Dimitar Iliev emotionally remembered the combine work they had together with Colonel Roussinov and welcomed the newly appointed Director and wish him success.
Colonel Roussinov has been decorated with Award mark Saint George III grade for Officers by Deputy Minister of Defence Mr Atanas Zapryanov on the behalf of the Bulgarian Minister of Defence, Mr Karakachanov. The Medal of Polish Armed Forces in silver was awarded to Colonel Roussinov by the Polish military defense attache Colonel Marek Warminski as well.
News

CMDR COE remains committed to strengthening regional cooperation and advancing readiness in crisis management and disaster response.
» read more
The Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS) Course for operators was held at the Crisis Management and Disaster Response Centre of Excellence from 30 September to 3 October 2025. It brought together 23 students from diverse backgrounds in a dynamic in-person setting.
» read more
The CMDR COE is proud to announce that Ms Asya Arsova has successfully completed the first phase of her Internship Programme. She presented her research paper on “Analysing Dynamics and Impacts of Contemporary People Mass Movements: A Multidisciplinary Exploration”, which addresses one of the most relevant and rapidly evolving fields in today’s global security landscape.
» read more
The Joint Operations Planning Introduction Course took place at the Crisis Management and Disaster Response Centre of Excellence (CMDR COE) from 22 to 26 September 2025, bringing together 16 participants from five NATO and partner nations in a dynamic, in-person setting.
» read more
From 23 to 26 September 2025 the CMDR COE hosted a course designed to provide participants with comprehensive knowledge and practical expertise in the deployment of Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS) for data-driven decision-making across operational, civilian, and emergency contexts.
» read more
The Crisis Management and Disaster Response Centre of Excellence welcomed the Japan’s Parliamentary Vice- Minister of Defense, Mr. Yozo Kaneko.
» read more
The CMDR COE hosted a successful Layered Resilience Concept (LRC) Validation event in Sofia, Bulgaria on 14-19 September 2025.
» read more
The 20th NATO EADRCC Emergency Management Exercise “BULGARIA 2025” (“the Exercise”) took place in Montana, Bulgaria from 7 to 12 September 2025, accompanied by a facilitated strategic discussion in Sofia, Bulgaria, on 09 September 2025.
» read more
On 18 August 2025, a farewell ceremony was held for the officers who have departed from our CMDR COE, honoring their contributions and dedication throughout their mandate.
» read more
The landmark exercise marks a significant step in strengthening Jordan’s national crisis management capabilities.
» read more
From 16th till 18th of July in Bucharest was conducted a course dedicated to Disaster Relief in CSDP Context.
» read more
CMDR COE is proud to announce that its interns Asya ARSOVA and Katya POPOVA successfully completed their University education.
» read more
The Course, held from 7 to 11 July 2025, concluded successfully, bringing together participants from the CMDR COE, the Bulgarian National Military Training Centre “Charalitsa”, and representatives from the Bulgarian Ministry of Defence.
» read more
A Collaborative Initiative Focused on Modernizing Crisis Response through M&S, C2, and AI Integration.
» read more
An intern project on “Social Capacity in Disaster Respond: Enhancing Resilience by Education and Training”
» read more
CMDR COE is proud with the received and focused on further challenges
» read more
On the 10th June 2025 , 20 students from 4 different nations started the 4-day long Building Integrity in Crisis Management and Disaster Response Course.
» read more
CMDR COE serves as the Department Head for the NATO BCM discipline.
» read more
Placing the focus on the arising security challenges
» read more
The Crisis Management and Disaster Response Centre of Excellence (CMDR COE), in cooperation with NATO and the NATO- Istanbul Cooperation Initiative (ICI) Regional Centre, successfully delivered a Mobile Training in Kuwait from 25 to 29 May 2025.
» read more
CMDR COR Participation to the solemn ceremony organized by the Romanian Embassy in Bulgaria.
» read more
Gender Focal Point Course at CMDR COE
» read more
The Final Planning Conference (FPC) for the Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre (EADRCC) Emergency Management Exercise "BULGARIA 2025" took place from 20 May to 22 May 2025.
» read more
Respect on the occassion of the 75th Anniversary of the fondation of the Scientific Applied Center for Military Epidemiology and Hygiene (NPCEH).
» read more
CMDR COE Intern Mr. Can Uyar participated in an Extensive Disaster Risk Reduction Education Program and OSAKA EXPO 2025 BOSAI Summit
» read more
From 13th to 16th of May in CMDRCOE was conducted Crisis Management in a Multilateral Framework course
» read more
Main Planning Conference of AMMON SENTINEL 2025 exercise
» read more
Titled “Contemporary Crisis Management in Times of Great Power Competition”, 28 April 2025
» read more