CMDR COE Strengthens Expert Dialogue with Japan through Delegation’s Working Visit

Date: (27-07-2026)

The Director of the Crisis Management and Disaster Response Centre of Excellence (CMDR COE), COL Orlin Nikolov, PhD, together with the Head of Operational Labs, COL Kostadin Lazarov, conducted a working visit to Japan aimed at strengthening professional dialogue, exchanging experience, and exploring opportunities for practical cooperation in crisis management, disaster response, civil preparedness, and resilience.

The visit was organised with the invaluable support of the Bulgarian Embassy in Tokyo and provided an opportunity to engage with Japanese counterparts on topics directly relevant to NATO’s evolving priorities in deterrence and defence. In today’s security environment, resilience is no longer seen as a supporting function but as a critical enabler of preparedness, continuity and operational effectiveness. Against this background, CMDR COE’s expertise in crisis management, disaster response, civil-military cooperation, education and training, lessons learned and operational experimentation offers practical added value to Allied and partner efforts to strengthen national and collective resilience.

The programme included engagements with representatives of the Ministry of Defence of Japan and the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JGSDF), with discussions focused on civil-military cooperation, disaster relief operations, host-nation support, defence support to civilian authorities, and the integration of crisis response and resilience into defence planning. The exchange also addressed the role of joint operational structures, command and control, cross-domain coordination, and interoperability in complex crisis environments.

A dedicated part of the visit focused on Women, Peace and Security and the integration of gender perspectives not only in military operations, but also in crisis management and disaster response. Discussions with the Gender Advisor to the Chief of Staff, Japan Self-Defense Forces, and the Women, Peace and Security Promotion Office addressed the practical relevance of gender perspectives for operational effectiveness, the protection of vulnerable groups, gender-responsive needs assessment, and the potential for future expert exchanges within the framework of CMDR COE education and training activities, including the Gender Focal Point Course.

The visit also included meetings with representatives of the Cabinet Office of the Government of Japan, responsible for disaster management. The discussions highlighted Japan’s whole-of-government approach to disaster preparedness, response, recovery, continuity of essential services, public warning, evacuation planning, and coordination between national authorities, local structures, and relevant public and private stakeholders. Japan’s extensive experience with earthquakes, tsunamis, typhoons, floods, volcanic eruptions and other hazards is a highly valuable source of knowledge for wider resilience discussions.

In addition, the CMDR COE delegation visited the Tokyo Rinkai Disaster Prevention Park and the National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Resilience (NIED). These engagements offered important insight into Japan’s use of science, technology, early warning, modelling, risk assessment, disaster data, experimentation and public communication in support of disaster risk reduction and national resilience. The discussions also opened up prospects for potential cooperation on research, workshops, conferences, risk intelligence, climate-related hazards, cascading risks and the translation of scientific knowledge into practical tools for responders and decision-makers.

The primary focus of the working visit was the exchange on exercise design, observation, evaluation, and lessons identified, including the Joint Exercise for Rescue 2026. The discussions highlighted potential areas of relevance to NATO crisis management and disaster response exercises, Euro-Atlantic disaster response mechanisms, and CMDR COE’s work in exercise support, after-action review, and lessons identified processes.

The visit reaffirmed the importance of connecting expertise across NATO and partner communities, particularly in areas where civil preparedness, disaster response, critical infrastructure resilience, host-nation support, and operational planning intersect. It also underscored the role of CMDR COE as NATO’s specialised platform for crisis management and disaster response, and as a bridge between strategic priorities and practical, field-oriented cooperation.

Through this engagement, CMDR COE continues to contribute to NATO’s deterrence and defence agenda by strengthening the resilience dimension of crisis preparedness, supporting the integration of civilian and military efforts, and facilitating the exchange of knowledge with highly capable partners. The visit to Japan marks an important step towards deeper expert dialogue and potential structured cooperation in support of shared security, preparedness, and resilience objectives.

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CMDR COE Strengthens Expert Dialogue with Japan through Delegation’s Working Visit

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