{"id":11689,"date":"2013-12-06T15:00:00","date_gmt":"2013-12-06T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ndc.nato.int\/nrcc-10-graduation-ceremony-and-first-nrcc-anciens-seminar\/"},"modified":"2026-01-15T09:06:41","modified_gmt":"2026-01-15T08:06:41","slug":"nrcc-10-graduation-ceremony-and-first-nrcc-anciens-seminar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ndc.nato.int\/fr\/nrcc-10-graduation-ceremony-and-first-nrcc-anciens-seminar\/","title":{"rendered":"NRCC 10 Graduation Ceremony and First NRCC Anciens&#8217; Seminar"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ndc.nato.int\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/NRCC10_Graduation_1_1.jpg\" alt=\"Senior NRCC-10 Course Member BrigGen Matar (JOR) receives his graduation diploma from Ambassador Minuto Rizzo and LtGen Dalhaug.\" \/><figcaption>Senior NRCC-10 Course Member BrigGen Matar (JOR) receives his graduation diploma from Ambassador Minuto Rizzo and LtGen Dalhaug.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<p class=\"eplus-wrapper\">On 6th December 2013, the NATO Defense College (NDC) and the Middle East Faculty (MEF) celebrated the graduation of the tenth session of the NATO Regional Cooperation Course (NRCC 10), and the first NRCC Anciens\u2019 Seminar.<\/p>\n<p class=\"eplus-wrapper\">The ceremony was attended by NRCC Course Members and staff from the Middle East Faculty, as well as by the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco H.E. Hassan Abouyoub, the Islamic Republic of Mauritania H.E.  Moctar Ould Dahi, the Kingdom of  Jordan H.E. Zaid Al Lozi and the Head of Mission of the League of Arab States in Italy, Ambassador Al-Shibli,   among a distinguished group of guests and  diplomatic representatives from a number of countries in the Middle East, NRCC Anciens including Colonel (ret) Sandy Guptill (USMC) the founder and the previous Director of the NDC Middle East Faculty. The guest speaker for the occasion was Ambassador Alessandro Minuto Rizzo, former NATO Deputy Secretary General.<\/p>\n<p class=\"eplus-wrapper\">Upon arrival participants were warmly <a class='photo' href='\/images\/NRCC10_Graduation_2_2.jpg' rel='lightbox' title= 'Ambassador Minuto Rizzo converses with NDC Commandant and Dean.(from the right) Ambassador Minuto Rizzo, LtGen Dalhaug and  Dean Dr Daniels-Skodnik.'>welcomed<\/a> by NDC Commandant LtGen Arne B\u00e5rd Dalhaug (NOR A), and by Col Giuseppe Morabito (ITA A), Director of the Middle East Faculty.<\/p>\n<p class=\"eplus-wrapper\">Before the start of the graduation ceremony, the distinguished guests joined NRCC 10 Course Members in the Maynard-Thorn Hall, for an <a class='photo' href='\/images\/NRCC10_Graduation_3_2.jpg' rel='lightbox' title= 'Ambassador Minuto Rizzo delivers the commencement address for the NRCC-10 graduation, also attended by participants to the inaugural NRCC Anciens\u2019 Seminar, honour guests,  NDC faculty and staff.'>address<\/a> by Ambassador Minuto Rizzo focused on NATO as a tool of cooperative security and the importance of NATO partnership with-Middle East countries.<\/p>\n<p class=\"eplus-wrapper\">Following Ambassador Minuto Rizzo\u2019s speech, NRCC 10 Course Members came forward individually to receive their graduation <a class='photo' href='\/images\/NRCC10_Graduation_4_2.jpg' rel='lightbox' title= 'The first NRCC-10 Course Member to receive his graduation diploma from Ambassador Minuto Rizzo and LtGen Dalhaug is Col Bekhouche (DZA).'>diplomas<\/a> and the personal congratulations of the NDC leadership.<\/p>\n<p class=\"eplus-wrapper\">After, Senior NRCC-10 Course Member BrigGen Matar (JOR) delivered a touching address, on behalf of all NRCC Course Members, in order to <a class='photo' href='\/images\/NRCC10_Graduation_5_2.jpg' rel='lightbox' title= 'Senior NRCC-10 Course Member BrigGen Matar presents the Head of the Middle East Faculty Col Morabito with a token of appreciation.'>thank<\/a> all MEF and NDC staff. BrigGen Matar stressed the importance of this unique Course that represents a valuable NATO asset.<\/p>\n<p class=\"eplus-wrapper\">NRCC 10 brought together 27 military and civilians from 13 different countries including, for the first time, the Republic of Moldova. The curriculum was both extensive but well focused, embracing a number of significant strategic challenges and the resulting need for informed planning at regional and global levels. Far from offering a mere complement to mainstream security-related topics, the Course enabled participants to work towards a truly comprehensive strategic dialogue and to develop what the College calls \u201chuman interoperability\u201d, establishing mutual trust as a firm basis for cooperation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"eplus-wrapper\">The NRCC programme was created as a result of the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative (ICI) and the Mediterranean Dialogue (MD). The first Course (NRCC 1) started in 2009, with a view to enhancing dialogue, mutual understanding, and cooperation between NATO and Partner countries. Amongst the activities planned to ensure NRCC 10 would not be limited to daily classroom lectures were a Field Study to Belgium and Jordan, two crisis simulation exercises, and a number of cultural visits throughout Italy. Among the most significant lectures, greatly appreciated by Course Members,   were those devoted to the three great monotheistic religions. <\/p>\n<p class=\"eplus-wrapper\">The Middle East Faculty staff has greatly appreciated the hard work put in by Course Members throughout the ten weeks of the Course and now looks forward to NRCC 11, which will start on 3rd March 2014.<\/p>\n<p><em>NDC Public Affairs Office<br \/>(Prepared by Ms Monica Fornari, ITA C)<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Senior NRCC-10 Course Member BrigGen Matar (JOR) receives his graduation diploma from Ambassador Minuto Rizzo and LtGen Dalhaug.<\/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-11689","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":"<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ndc.nato.int\/fr\/category\/news\/\" rel=\"category tag\">News<\/a>","tag_info":"News","comment_count":0,"coauthors":[],"tax_additional":{"categories":{"linked":["<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ndc.nato.int\/fr\/category\/news\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">News<\/a>"],"unlinked":["<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">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 d\u00e9cembre 6, 2013","modified":"Mise \u00e0 jour le janvier 15, 2026"},"absolute_dates_time":{"created":"Publi\u00e9 le d\u00e9cembre 6, 2013 15:00","modified":"Mise \u00e0 jour le janvier 15, 2026 09:06"},"featured_img_caption":"","series_order":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ndc.nato.int\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11689","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=11689"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.ndc.nato.int\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11689\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ndc.nato.int\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11689"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ndc.nato.int\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11689"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ndc.nato.int\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11689"},{"taxonomy":"post_badge","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ndc.nato.int\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_badge?post=11689"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}