The graduation ceremony for the third NATO Regional Cooperation Course (NRCC-3) was held on 14 May 2010, in the presence of NATO’s Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Security Cooperation and Partnership and Secretary General’s Special Representative for the Caucasus & Central Asia), Mr Robert F. Simmons Jr.
The third NATO Regional Cooperation Course (NRCC-3) has been the largest regional course since the establishment of the Middle East Faculty at the NATO Defense College in March 2009. It included 25 participants from 15 countries and officers from a variety of services, including from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of the Interior and the National Guard.
The main purpose of the 10-week programme is to build understanding, trust and cooperation among military and civilian personnel from MD, ICI and NATO countries. During their 10-week programme Course Members examine current and future security challenges affecting the region and NATO member states. The third NRCC course culminated in a tough four-day crisis management exercise in which Course Members jointly developed the strategic guidance required to address a complex crisis involving a comprehensive approach and humanitarian assistance.
The graduation ceremony was attended by dignitaries and representatives of the diplomatic community in Rome as well as by H.E. Sheikh Jaber Duaij Al-Sabah, Ambassador of Kuwait in Rome; Ms Omnia Taha from the League of Arab States in Cairo; and H.E. Ambassador Mahmoud Karem, former Ambassador of Egypt to Brussels and NATO and currently Secretary General of the Human Rights Council in Egypt.
The graduation lecture was delivered by Mr Simmons and focused on “The Logic of Partnerships and NATO’s new Strategic Concept”. In his speech DASG Simmons highlighted the importance partnerships have attained for the Alliance. Through NATO’s transformation, the purpose of the Alliance has changed as well. Today, partnerships are the third pillar of NATO, along with territorial defence and out-of-area operations.
The Commandant of the NATO Defense College, Lieutenant General Wolf-Dieter Loeser, who presided over the ceremony, praised the participants of the third NATO Regional Cooperation Course (NRCC). He highlighted the political importance of the NRCC as a new initiative developed to expand the NATO network of educational activities towards the partners of the Mediterranean Dialogue (MD) and the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative (ICI). Lieutenant General Loeser, who recently visited Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan, stressed the importance for the Alliance of reaching out to the Middle East and the Gulf region, and he emphasized that the NRCC initiative remains a two-way street, where MD and ICI nations share their views and perspectives and where Course Members learn from one other’s experience.
After the graduation speech, the Course Members of NRCC-3 had an open discussion with DASG Simmons about the value of the NRCC and future perspectives. Deputy Assistant Secretary General Simmons and Lieutenant General Loeser then presided over the NRCC graduation ceremony and delivered the diplomas.
The fourth NATO Regional Cooperation Course will take place from 20 September to 26 November 2010. It will aim to build on the success of the previous three courses and to further foster reciprocal understanding and respect and establish long term networking among participants.
NDC Public Affairs Office
Collège de Défense de l'OTAN 
