KUWAIT, Feb 8 (KUNA) -- Director of NATO Regional Centre and Istanbul Cooperation Initiative (NIRC), Advisor Emad Al-Kanderi, affirmed the centre's commitment to capacity building, promoting experience exchange, bridging perspectives among partner countries, and developing national competencies across relevant fields.
Al-Kanderi told KUNA on Sunday that the centre hosted its second training session this year, titled "Public Affairs Fundamentals," organized with NATO's Regional Public Affairs Centre, with participation from Istanbul Cooperation Initiative members, GCC countries, and the GCC Secretariat.
He stated the course aims to equip participants with basic communication skills, introduce public affairs principles, teach media engagement techniques, enhance professional media interaction, and improve institutional communication, with completion qualifying participants for the advanced course in late October.
Al-Kanderi added that the centre will hold 31 courses and events this year on cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, maritime security, medical services, lessons learned, and other subjects, including, for the first time, a practical simulation-based course on field response and crisis management.
He explained that annual programs are selected based on participant evaluations, proposals from the National Liaison Points Committee chaired by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, inputs from Ministries of Defense, Interior, National Guard, Fire Service, and suggestions from Istanbul Cooperation Initiative members represented by Kuwait, UAE, Bahrain, and Qatar.
Al-Kanderi concluded that this approach ensures continuous program development, maintains relevance to partner countries' needs, and strengthens regional cooperation, particularly with NATO, while fostering knowledge exchange, professional development, and readiness for security and crisis challenges across the region. (end) yt.ahm