Monday 9 March, at the NATO Defense College in Rome, has been the day of the inauguration of the first ten-week course dedicated to Cooperation between NATO and the Gulf States. Civil and military authorities from the nations represented on the course took part in the event, between them: Her Royal Highness Princess Wijdan AL HASHEMI, Ambassador of Jordan, and Lt. Gen. Eduardo ZAMARRIPA, Chief of Staff at JFC HQ Naples.
The course has been officially opened by General Wolf-Dieter Loeser, Commandant of the NATO Defense College.
The NATO Regional Cooperation Course (NRCC) is a new initiative on the part of the NATO Defense College in compliance with the decision taken by the Heads of State and Government of NATO Countries at the Riga Summit in November 2006, which approved the establishment of a Middle East Faculty at the NATO Defense College. This decision was confirmed at the Bucharest Summit in 2008. The NRCC embodies a commitment to expand the network of NATO training activities towards Mediterranean Dialogue (MD) and Istanbul Cooperation Initiative (ICI) partners.
A total of 55 participants from 16 nations have already taken part in the four preliminary NRCC courses.
The NRCC is a ten-week course that will take place twice a year, the first starting today and the second in September. The first four weeks of the course will follow the same curriculum as the NATO Defense College’s Senior Course. For the remaining six weeks the NRCC will follow its own academic curriculum, developed specifically for its course members.
The purpose of the NRCC is to inform military and civilian personnel from MD, ICI and NATO countries who are working in the Mediterranean Region and the Middle East, or in their respective agencies, on the current and future security challenges affecting the region. The second, equally important, NRCC objective is to foster reciprocal understanding and respect and establish a long term network among participants.
The teaching staff includes two lecturers, each with a PhD in Middle Eastern Studies and work experience in the actual region.
The opening of the new Faculty is an extremely significant event in the context of international cooperation to bring about security and cooperation in an area constantly fraught with tensions and crises.
NDC Public Affairs Office
Collège de Défense de l'OTAN