site.btaBulgaria Joins Hybrid CoE

Bulgaria has joined the Helsinki-based Hybrid Center of Excellence (Hybrid CoE), Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mariya Gabriel said on Facebook on Tuesday. Gabriel is on a working visit to Helsinki.

"Resilience, cooperation and trust, better preparedness to deal with hybrid threats, sharing experience and knowledge - these were the key messages today. Thank you for the opportunity for Bulgaria to join the Centre. By pooling resources, sharing information, and conducting joint exercises, we will be able to pave the way to a safer and more secure future," Gabriel’s statement further reads.

Hybrid CoE is an autonomous, network-based international organization countering hybrid threats.

The decision for Bulgaria to apply for Hybrid CoE membership was made in late April 2023 by the then caretaker government in Sofia. Bulgaria has been the only EU member state not represented in the organization. The nation's interest in joining it increased as a result of the changing European security architecture. The Hybrid CoE Steering Board unanimously approved the country's membership bid on May 26, 2023.

Hybrid CoE was established in 2017 in Helsinki. It involves EU member states and NATO allies. It supports the building of operational capabilities through training and practical exercises of experts from participating countries and enables EU-NATO joint work and exercises, covering a wide range of activities in the civil and military sectors, from countering malicious influences to hybrid warfare.