Signed Agreement for handing over the use and maintenance of the Command Center procured within the HELP project

Today, March 30, 2021, in the premises of the Center for Development of the South-East Planning Region in Strumica, the Head of the Center for Development of the South-East Planning Region, Ms. Julieta Ghjurkova and the Director of the Crisis Management Center, Mr. Stojance Angelov signed Agreement for providing use, maintenance and servicing of the Command Center procured within the project “Integrated Operational Center for Humanitarian Aid” – HELP.

Previously, representatives of both institutions visited the Regional Center for Crisis Management, RCUK Strumica, where the Command Center itself is located in order to review the installed equipment and a short presentation was made about the possibilities of the equipment and how it will be used in conditions of natural disasters in the country and in the cross-border region with Greece.

The Center for Development of SEPR in the past period worked intensively towards achieving the main goal of the project, providing modern infrastructure and equipment for crisis management and the results are visible with the installation of a fully equipped Command Center which was recently set up in the South-East Planning Region in Strumica.

“This Command Center will serve not only for the South-East region, but wherever there is a need in the country will be transported because this sophisticated container is the first of its kind made in our country and I hope this will be a successful example of cross-border cooperation.” with Greece with the hope that in the future we will implement such a project with R.Bulgaria in order to speed up intervention and protection of citizens throughout the cross-border region,” said Ms. Gjurkova.

According to the planned activities, until the end of the project implementation, together with the project partners, two pilot actions will be implemented, one in our region and one in Greece, during which a virtual scenario for a certain disaster in the cross-border region will be created. rapid response and communication with the cross-border area enabled through the Command Center. It is also planned to organize an Info Day to present the results achieved within the project. The project is co-financed by the European Union through the Interreg IPA Cross-Border Cooperation Program between R. North Macedonia and Greece and the national funds of the participating countries.