BY Mahdi Al-Nemr
(with photos) ROME, Nov 25 (KUNA) -- Showing Kuwait's interest in enhancing and upgrading skills of security and diplomatic personnel, two Kuwaitis graduated Friday from the prestigious NATO Defense College (NDC).
In a big ceremony held here at the NDC headquarters, the two Kuwaitis, head of the VIP Security Department at the Ministry of Interior Colonel Saleh Matar Al-Enezi and First Secretary of Kuwait Diplomatic Institute of the Foreign Ministry Meshal Jassem Al-Shehab, received their graduation certificates.
In statements to KUNA, the two trainees applauded the course and its great benefits.
The sixth NATO Regional Cooperation Course (NRCC-6) took place at NDC in Rome.
The NRCC is a 10-week course that focuses on the study of security challenges in the Middle East and North African regions. Course Members included government and military officials from NATO, Mediterranean Dialogue (MD), Istanbul Cooperation Initiative (ICI), and other interested nations.
The Commandant of the NDC, Lieutenant General Arne Bord Dalhaug, delivered the graduation remarks and mentioned the importance of the NRCC during the current events taking place in the MENA regions. NRCC-6 was a significant course because it ran simultaneously alongside the Arab Spring as it took shape.
For his part, Charge d'Affaires of the Kuwaiti Embassy here Eyadah Al-Saeedi, who attended the graduation ceremony, underlined the importance of Kuwaiti cadres' joining such courses.
"This helps upgrade experience of Kuwaiti cadres and promote positive cooperation and understanding," he told KUNA.
Al-Saeedi stressed on the importance of dialogue and cooperation with international organizations such as NATO on key issues related to common interests, especially the security and stability, similar to what occurred during the Libyan crisis for the protection of Libyan people.
He added that Kuwait was interested in expanding dialogue with all organizations and countries to reach mutual understanding and constructive cooperation to promote common security and face risks that threaten the stability, both in the Gulf or the Arab region and the region as well as on international level.
The aim of the NRCC is to bridge the gaps, dispel misconceptions, and create mutual understanding between NATO and its Partner countries. In Lt Gen. Dalhaug's remarks, he explained that, "understanding, but not being understood, is not the same as understanding, and knowing you are understood. Make no mistake - understanding does not mean agreeing".
Lecturers from the Middle East and NATO countries are invited throughout the course to present on various topics dealing with the security and political challenges of the region. The last week of the course is dedicated to the Crisis Management Exercise (CMX), where participants have the opportunity to apply all of the knowledge that they had gained over the ten-week course.
NRCC-6 saw the graduation of 25 participants from 14 different nations. (end) mn.ibi KUNA 252135 Nov 11NNNN