As of the 1 January 2026, the CoE officially welcomed Bulgaria as its 25^th member.

Bulgaria's application for membership was unanimously approved at the CoE’s 9^th General Meeting, which took place in November 2025 in Berlin. Representing Bulgaria at the General Meeting, Ms.Christiana Christova, First Secretary at the Embassy of Bulgaria, welcomed Bulgaria’s accession to the CoE. Outlining the Bulgarian government’s commitment to civilian CSDP, Ms Christova stated that, “By joining the CoE, Bulgaria stands ready to further strengthen its national systems and structures and actively contribute to the exchange of good practices in civilian CSDP.”

Later in November, following the formal approval of Bulgaria’s membership, the CoE was delighted to welcome Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria, H.E. Elena Shekerletova, Ambassador of Bulgaria to Germany, H.E. Grigor Kalinov Porozhanov, and First Secretary of the Embassy of Bulgaria, Ms. Christiana Christova, to the Centre’s office in Berlin. CoE Director, Johanna Sumuvuori, took this opportunity to congratulate Bulgaria for doubling its contribution to civilian CSDP missions over the past year and reaffirmed the CoE’s commitment to working with Bulgaria to advance implementation of the EU’s Civilian CSDP Compact.

As the CoE's membership expands, the Centre remains committed to facilitating informal dialogue and exchange between its members. Through the sharing of good practices and pooling of knowledge and resources, the CoE stands ready to support its members to deliver on both national and EU-wide commitments to civilian CSDP. 

The CoE warmly welcomes Bulgaria as its newest member and looks forward to working together to strengthen civilian CSDP. 

CoE membership is open to all EU Member States and NATO allies. If you are interested in joining or have questions about membership, please do not hesitate to contact us.