On 23rd March 2015, the NDC’s Thirteenth NATO Regional Cooperation Course (NRCC-13) was in Brussels for the first stop on its Field Study. Led by Middle East Faculty (MEF) Director Col G. Morabito (ITA A), the group visited NATO Headquarters and Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) in nearby Mons.
During their stay in Brussels and Mons, Course Members attended a number of institutional presentations and briefings.
On the first morning, Course Members were warmly welcomed and addressed by NATO Military Committee Chairman General Knud Bartels and by Rear Admiral Emil Eftimov, Director of the Cooperation and Regional Security Division. They were then briefed on “NATO’s Cooperation with the Mediterranean and the Middle East region” by Mr Nicola de Santis, Head of the Middle East and North Africa Section, Political Affairs and Security Policy Division.
There was also a briefing and discussion with H.E. Ambassador Alexander Vershbow, NATO Deputy Secretary General, and another session on “NATO’s Military Cooperation in the Framework of the Mediterranean Dialogue and the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative” with Colonel Emanuele Biondini, Head of the Mediterranean Dialogue and Istanbul Cooperation Initiative Section, Cooperation and Regional Security Division, NATO International Military Staff.
After lunch, there were two more talks: “NATO’s New Partnership Policy”, by Dr Rolf Schwarz, Political Officer, Political Affairs and Security Policy Division; and “New Emergency Security Challenges”, by Dr Detlef Puhl, Senior Advisor to the Assistant Secretary General for the Emerging Security Challenges Division.
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