From 27th to 28th March 2014, the Course Members of the Eleventh NATO Regional Cooperation Course (NRCC-11), directed by the Head of Middle East Faculty (MEF), Col G. Morabito (ITA A), were in Brussels, visiting Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) and NATO Headquarters for their second Field Study. They had two intensive days scheduled, with meetings, discussions and briefings by high-level personalities.
The first visit, on Thursday 27th March, was at SHAPE – the Headquarters of Allied Command Operations (ACO) – where the NRCC was warmly welcomed by the SHAPE Deputy Chief of Staff Military Partnership (MIP), Major General Haluketinkaya (TUR A). Participants were briefed by two speakers: Colonel Eyup Coskun (TUR), representative of the Current Operations Group (COG) in the Comprehensive Crisis and Ops Mgt Centre (CCOMC), on the topic of Operational issues in the Middle East and North Africa; and LtCol Halvor Bjornbeth (NOR F), Executive Officer for Force Generation (FOG) in the CCOMC, on the Force Generation Process.
The following day, Course Members moved to NATO Headquarters where they were addressed by the Chairman of the NATO Military Committee, General Knud Bartels (DNK A). A further briefing on NATO’s New Strategic Concept, the Mediterranean and the Middle East was given by Mr Nicola de Santis (ITA C), Head of Middle East and North Africa Section, Political Affairs and Security Policy Division. Course Members then held discussions with H.E. Ambassador Alexander Vershbow (USA C), NATO Deputy Secretary General, and with H.E. Gabriele Checchia (ITA C), Permanent Representative of Italy to the North Atlantic Council (NAC), and H.E. Ambassador Mehmet Fatih Ceylan (TUR C), Permanent Representative of Turkey to the North Atlantic Council.
The visitors took part in a working lunch on the subject of NATO’s Military Cooperation in the Framework of the Mediterranean Dialogue and the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative with BrigGen Ivan Caruso (ITA A), Deputy Director of the Cooperation and Regional Security Division, International Military Staff (IMS). After lunch, the NRCC attended several briefings on specific issues: NATO’s New Partnership Policy by Dr Jaroslaw Skonieczka (POL C), Senior Director, Integration, Partnership and Cooperation Directorate, Political Affairs and Security Policy Division; NATO’s Plans and Policy by RAdm Paolo Sandalli (ITA N), Deputy Director, Plans and Policy, NATO International Military Staff; and New Emerging Security Challenges by Dr Jamie Shea (GBR C), Deputy Assistant Secretary General, Emerging Security Challenges Division.
Appointments in Brussels will be followed by a visit to Naples, thereby concluding the second Field Study of NRCC-11.
NDC Public Affairs Office
(Prepared by Ms Valentina Ferrandu, ITA C)
NATO Defense College