A NATO Defense College delegation, led by the NDC Commandant, Lt Gen. Wolf-Dieter LOESER, is visiting three of the most important partner countries in the Gulf region.
The aim of the visit is to foster the partnership between the NATO Defense College and the equivalent institutes of those countries, and to provide them with a clear overview of the Middle East topic, which is addressed in the New Strategic Concept.
On Monday 15 March the NDC delegation met their Kuwaiti counterparts at the Mubarak Al Abdullah Joint Command and Staff College, where they were warmly welcomed by the Commandant, Major General Jawad Abdulla Al Qattan.
The visit to Kuwait continued with courtesy calls at the National Security Bureau, and at the Kuwait Diplomatic Institute, where Lt Gen. Wolf-Dieter LOESER delivered a speech on "NATO, the Middle East and the New Strategic Concept".
In his remarks the NDC Commandant stressed that the two regional partnerships, the Mediterranean Dialogue and the Istanbul Initiative Cooperation, have the potential to be deepened and widened, and both can help to reduce mutual misperceptions.
Lt Gen. LOESER, quoting Secretary General RASMUSSEN, also said that "the Gulf States are natural partners to NATO" because of their willingness to combine their heritage with the challenges and opportunities posed to them by modernisation and globalisation.
One of the cornerstones for achieving mutual understanding and human interoperability is common education, and the NATO Defense College has opened its doors to all the countries cooperating in this endeavour.
The NATO Regional Cooperation Course aims to provide a very challenging programme with a focus on the Middle East and the Gulf, consisting of lectures delivered by experts coming mainly from the region. This is the way to reinforce mutual knowledge and understanding for both NATO and Gulf Countries, and is a real chance to overcome the old mistrust and walk towards the future.
Over the next few days the NDC delegation will visit Bahrain and Jordan.
LtCol. Mario Masdea, Chief Public Affairs Office, ITA-A
Collège de Défense de l'OTAN