On 26th and 27th March, participants attending the ninth NATO Regional Cooperation Course (NRCC-9) at the NATO Defense College (NDC) visited NATO Headquarters (NATO HQ) in Brussels. The NRCC also made its very first visit to Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), in nearby Mons. <\/p>\n
Course Members thus had a unique opportunity to engage in detailed discussion with NATO officials and diplomats on current topics of fundamental interest in the fields of security and strategy. These were authoritatively covered in briefings by a number of high-level speakers.<\/p>\n
H.E. Ambassador Dirk Brengelmann, Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Security Policy, welcomed NRCC-9 on arrival and gave a much appreciated briefing on NATO\u2019s current political agenda. This was followed by an extremely valuable question and answer session with General Knud Mr. Nicola de Santis, Head of the Political Affairs and Security Policy Division\u2019s Middle East and North Africa Section, then gave a very stimulating briefing on NATO\u2019S current Strategic Concept, concentrating above all on the Mediterranean area and the Middle East. <\/p>\n After this, a comprehensive update on NATO\u2019s main priorities and strategic agenda was given by Deputy Secretary General H.E. Ambassador Alexander Vershbow. <\/p>\n Following an intense morning of presentations and discussions, Course Members attended a working lunch. This gave them an opportunity to speak at length with Commodore Emil Eftimov, Deputy Director of the NATO International Military Staff\u2019s Cooperation and Regional Security Division, who provided a valuable update on NATO\u2019s military cooperation within the Mediterranean Dialogue (MD) and the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative (ICI).<\/p>\n In the afternoon, participants engaged in an extremely interesting discussion on NATO-Russia relations with Dr. Petr Lunak, Deputy Head of the Engagement Section, Public Diplomacy Division. <\/p>\n The first day of the visit was fittingly concluded by a meeting with H.E. Ambassador Gabriele Checchia and H.E. Ambassador Philippe Errera, respectively Permanent Representatives of Italy and France to NATO.<\/p>\n On their second day in Brussels, Course Members reconvened at NATO HQ for a very informative briefing on emerging security challenges. The speaker was Mr Michael Ruehle, Head of the Energy Security Section of the Emerging Security Challenges Division. <\/p>\n Major General Marcel Druart, Director of NATO\u2019s International Military Staff Operations Division, then gave a thorough appraisal of NATO operations over Libya and in Afghanistan. <\/p>\n Before moving to the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), the group spent time with Mr Manuel Acerete and Mr Ekkehard Brose, respectively Deputy Permanent Representatives of Spain and Germany to NATO.<\/p>\n In the afternoon, Course Members were welcomed to SHAPE by Major General Fucsku, DCOS Military Partnership. They heard a number of excellent presentations about operations-related issues, focused on the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, and about SHAPE\u2019s active commitment to the inclusion of partner nations in planning.<\/p>\n The visit concluded with an exceptionally thought-provoking and informative Q&A session, affording Course Members an appropriate opportunity to review the main issues discussed during the course of the afternoon. <\/p>\n NDC Public Affairs Office On 26th and 27th March, participants attending the ninth NATO Regional Cooperation Course (NRCC-9) at the NATO Defense<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_eb_attr":"","_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","advgb_blocks_editor_width":"","advgb_blocks_columns_visual_guide":"","editor_plus_copied_stylings":"{}","_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":[],"_EventVenueID":[],"_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":false,"_VenueShowMapLink":false,"_themeisle_gutenberg_block_has_review":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"post_badge":[],"class_list":["post-11483","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"featured_image_src":null,"author_info":{"display_name":"NDC","author_link":"https:\/\/www.ndc.nato.int\/fr\/author\/admin_3rwqf6tj\/"},"modified_by":null,"author_meta":{"display_name":"NDC","author_link":"https:\/\/www.ndc.nato.int\/fr\/author\/admin_3rwqf6tj\/"},"featured_img":null,"featured_image_urls":{"full":"","thumbnail":"","medium":"","medium_large":"","large":"","1536x1536":"","2048x2048":"","trp-custom-language-flag":"","morenews-featured":"","morenews-large":"","morenews-medium":""},"category_info":"News<\/a>","tag_info":"News","comment_count":0,"coauthors":[],"tax_additional":{"categories":{"linked":["News<\/a>"],"unlinked":["News<\/span>"]}},"relative_dates":{"created":"Publi\u00e9 13 ans il y a","modified":"Mis \u00e0 jour 6 mois il y a"},"absolute_dates":{"created":"Publi\u00e9 le mars 28, 2013","modified":"Mise \u00e0 jour le janvier 15, 2026"},"absolute_dates_time":{"created":"Publi\u00e9 le mars 28, 2013 10:55","modified":"Mise \u00e0 jour le janvier 15, 2026 09:03"},"featured_img_caption":"","series_order":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ndc.nato.int\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11483","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ndc.nato.int\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ndc.nato.int\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ndc.nato.int\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ndc.nato.int\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11483"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.ndc.nato.int\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11483\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ndc.nato.int\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11483"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ndc.nato.int\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11483"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ndc.nato.int\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11483"},{"taxonomy":"post_badge","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ndc.nato.int\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_badge?post=11483"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nBartels<\/a>, Chairman of NATO\u2019s Military Committee. <\/p>\n
(Prepared by Ms Francesca Blasi, ITA C)<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
![\nBartels<\/a>, Chairman of NATO\u2019s Military Committee. <\/p>\nMr. Nicola de Santis, Head of the Political Affairs and Security Policy Division\u2019s Middle East and North Africa Section, then gave a very stimulating briefing on NATO\u2019S current Strategic Concept, concentrating above all on the Mediterranean area and the Middle East. <\/p>\nAfter this, a comprehensive update on NATO\u2019s main priorities and strategic agenda was given by Deputy Secretary General H.E. Ambassador Alexander Vershbow. <\/p>\nFollowing an intense morning of presentations and discussions, Course Members attended a working lunch. This gave them an opportunity to speak at length with Commodore Emil Eftimov, Deputy Director of the NATO International Military Staff\u2019s Cooperation and Regional Security Division, who provided a valuable update on NATO\u2019s military cooperation within the Mediterranean Dialogue (MD) and the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative (ICI).<\/p>\nIn the afternoon, participants engaged in an extremely interesting discussion on NATO-Russia relations with Dr. Petr Lunak, Deputy Head of the Engagement Section, Public Diplomacy Division. <\/p>\nThe first day of the visit was fittingly concluded by a meeting with H.E. Ambassador Gabriele Checchia and H.E. Ambassador Philippe Errera, respectively Permanent Representatives of Italy and France to NATO.<\/p>\nOn their second day in Brussels, Course Members reconvened at NATO HQ for a very informative briefing on emerging security challenges. The speaker was Mr Michael Ruehle, Head of the Energy Security Section of the Emerging Security Challenges Division. <\/p>\nMajor General Marcel Druart, Director of NATO\u2019s International Military Staff Operations Division, then gave a thorough appraisal of NATO operations over Libya and in Afghanistan. <\/p>\nBefore moving to the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), the group spent time with Mr Manuel Acerete and Mr Ekkehard Brose, respectively Deputy Permanent Representatives of Spain and Germany to NATO.<\/p>\nIn the afternoon, Course Members were welcomed to SHAPE by Major General Fucsku, DCOS Military Partnership. They heard a number of excellent presentations about operations-related issues, focused on the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, and about SHAPE\u2019s active commitment to the inclusion of partner nations in planning.<\/p>\nThe visit concluded with an exceptionally thought-provoking and informative Q&A session, affording Course Members an appropriate opportunity to review the main issues discussed during the course of the afternoon. <\/p>\nNDC Public Affairs Office(Prepared by Ms Francesca Blasi, ITA C)<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"On 26th and 27th March, participants attending the ninth NATO Regional Cooperation Course (NRCC-9) at the NATO Defense<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_eb_attr":"","_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","advgb_blocks_editor_width":"","advgb_blocks_columns_visual_guide":"","editor_plus_copied_stylings":"{}","_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":[],"_EventVenueID":[],"_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":false,"_VenueShowMapLink":false,"_themeisle_gutenberg_block_has_review":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"post_badge":[],"class_list":["post-11483","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"featured_image_src":null,"author_info":{"display_name":"NDC","author_link":"https:\/\/www.ndc.nato.int\/fr\/author\/admin_3rwqf6tj\/"},"modified_by":null,"author_meta":{"display_name":"NDC","author_link":"https:\/\/www.ndc.nato.int\/fr\/author\/admin_3rwqf6tj\/"},"featured_img":null,"featured_image_urls":{"full":"","thumbnail":"","medium":"","medium_large":"","large":"","1536x1536":"","2048x2048":"","trp-custom-language-flag":"","morenews-featured":"","morenews-large":"","morenews-medium":""},"category_info":"News<\/a>","tag_info":"News","comment_count":0,"coauthors":[],"tax_additional":{"categories":{"linked":["News<\/a>"],"unlinked":["News<\/span>"]}},"relative_dates":{"created":"Publi\u00e9 13 ans il y a","modified":"Mis \u00e0 jour 6 mois il y a"},"absolute_dates":{"created":"Publi\u00e9 le mars 28, 2013","modified":"Mise \u00e0 jour le janvier 15, 2026"},"absolute_dates_time":{"created":"Publi\u00e9 le mars 28, 2013 10:55","modified":"Mise \u00e0 jour le janvier 15, 2026 09:03"},"featured_img_caption":"","series_order":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ndc.nato.int\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11483","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ndc.nato.int\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ndc.nato.int\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ndc.nato.int\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ndc.nato.int\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11483"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.ndc.nato.int\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11483\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ndc.nato.int\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11483"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ndc.nato.int\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11483"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ndc.nato.int\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11483"},{"taxonomy":"post_badge","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ndc.nato.int\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_badge?post=11483"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}](\/images\/NRCC9_FS_Brussels_1_2a.jpg){kind=link}