NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE) celebrated today the accession of three new members – Albania, Finland and Sweden – with a dedicated flag-raising ceremony at the Centre’s headquarters in Tallinn.
“Ever since the founding of the CCDCOE 18 years ago today, we have seen continuously growing interest in the Centre’s work. Today, we are pleased to witness full membership being granted to three additional nations, bringing us very close to becoming the only NATO accreditated Centre of Excellence represented by all NATO Allies,“ said Tõnis Saar, Director of the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence.
“As a leading cyber defence hub, we recognise our significant responsibility to serve both NATO and our member nations by providing cyber expertise that contributes to the Alliance’s capability development — from research to world-class cyber exercises. With the accession of the new members, we are also expanding the expertise the Centre can offer.”
Estonian Minister of Defence Hanno Pevkur welcomed the new members at the ceremony. „The Centre provides an excellent platform for the exchange of cyber domain expertise and know-how in an increasingly dynamic security environment. I am delighted and honoured that Estonia can support NATO, its Allies and Partners by providing host nation support to the NATO CCDCOE. Each year, the exercises and courses hosted by the CCDCOE have been growing and from the Estonian side, we certainly want to make sure we can keep up with that,“ said Minister Pevkur.
The new member nations were represented at the ceremony by the Ambassador of Sweden to Estonia, Charlotte Wrangberg, Ambassador of Finland, Vesa Vasara and Ambassador of Albania, Mimoza Halimi.
According to Sweden’s Ambassador to Estonia, Charlotte Wrangberg, strengthening cyber resilience is one of Sweden’s key priorities. “On cybersecurity, we want to build a resilient Sweden with a high level of security, where essential public services can be maintained even when severe cybersecurity incidents occur,” said Ambassador Wrangberg in her speech. “We want to increase international cooperation, not least with NATO and the CCDCOE. This Centre of Excellence provides an important platform for such cooperation. We are proud to become a sponsoring nation.”
Finland’s Ambassador, Vesa Vasara, explained that Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine led Finland to join NATO, and that, as a natural part of this process, Finland expressed its willingness to become a full member of NATO’s Cyber Defence Centre. “Since the establishment of the Centre, the world — especially the digital environment — has changed fundamentally. This challenges the Alliance’s ability to protect and defend itself and its partners,” said Ambassador Vasara. “Consequently, the tasks of the Cyber Defence Centre remain more relevant than ever. And this is precisely why Finland wishes to be part of this community.”
Albania’s Ambassador, Mimoza Halimi, highlighted that since the major cyberattacks against Albania’s national infrastructure in 2022, the country has taken decisive measures to reinforce its cyber resilience, and that joining CCDCOE is a natural and strategic next step. “Albania is committed to contributing actively to the Centre’s work in research, training, exercises, and the development of best practices, while also benefiting from the expertise and innovation of this exceptional community of Allies and partners. Our engagement here will further strengthen the security and stability of Albania, the Western Balkans, Europe, and the Alliance as a whole,” said Ambassador Halimi.
Established in 2008, the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence has grown to be the largest NATO-accredited Centre of Excellence by the number of nations and continues to attract new members. As of today, the Centre unites 39 nations, from both NATO member nations and partners.
The centre provides valuable expertise on cyber defence across strategic, legal, operational, and technical realms. It conducts research, delivers training and exercises, and develops doctrines, standards, and concepts to support and strengthen collective cyber resilience.
The photo gallery of the flag-raising ceremony is at the Centre´s photo gallery on Flickr.