From the NATO Defense College (NDC) in Rome, so far, three representatives from Montenegro have got a degree that will enable them to advance in the service.
"Two of them attended the Integrated Partnership Orientation Course, and one attended the Senior Course after Montenegro became a member of the Alliance. No Montenegrins have ever attended the NATO course for regional cooperation or an even higher course. Anyway, we would love to see more Montenegrins in Rome," said the Commissar of the College, General Lieutenant-Colonel Chris Whitecross. When asked who t his College is intended for, the collocutor points out that its attendance is recommended to all those who will fill any NATO or national positions associated with that organization. She also points out that networking opportunities will continue long after the participants leave the College and return to their national or international positions. "We serve the needs of all NATO members and help our partner countries. At the college, we focus our programs on education, research, and information: on the process of education in the states of allies and partner states on how NATO works, on the importance of consensus, skills that are the cornerstone of the Alliance's decision making process and on the creation of a network of military and civilian leaders who get to know each other and cooperate with each other, " Whitecross said.
He adds that at this institution in Rome, they explore topics that are relevant to the Alliance and which can lead to a better understanding of the challenges we face and the opportunities ahead. The College itself has a large number of courses - the most prominent is the Senior Course, which lasts almost six months, and the NATO Cooperation Course, which lasts 10 days.
The first course brings together senior civilian and military rankings from the defense, foreign and internal affairs sector to get acquainted with the Alliance activities, discussing the challenges NATO faces and, as already mentioned, gaining the skills to work in NATO organizations. Participants of the Higher Course are taught through daily lectures by experts from the University, military and civilian leaders and by well-known experts. Moreover, they have the opportunity to participate in study visits, where they come in contact with representatives of the national institutions - from parliaments and ministries, military and civilian - just like here in Montenegro this week," Whitecross explained, adding that such visits are an exceptional opportunity to gain knowledge from people belonging to a particular region, to better understand local geopolitical and geo-social issues, but also to make the relevant questions. The delegation of about 100 representatives of the College, led by the Commander, is staying here for a visit to Montenegro. It is a visit that is being realized within the study tour for the participants of their High School, which brings together senior officers and civilian officials from 32 countries. Whitecross goes on to say that NATO's course for regional cooperation is similar by its description to the higher one. "But it lasts shorter and therefore gets less in the details, and its discourse is limited to the region of the Middle East and North Africa. Both courses are for officers of the rank of lieutenant colonel and colonel. However, there are courses available for senior officers, diplomats and public clerks," she said.
Just as NATO relies on Montenegro, Montenegro can rely on NATO, the College Leader said. "The Montenegro Trust Fund enables the destruction of more than 400 tons of surplus weapons, and our mission to protect the air ensures safety in the airspace above Montenegro, with the support of the aircraft of Italy and Greece. Therefore, we can conclude that relations between NATO and Montenegro are mutually beneficial and that they are of importance to the collective security system as a whole. I must point out that without security there can be neither progress nor prosperity. This link is already noticeable in everyday circumstances as the inflow of foreign direct investment from the Allied states to Montenegro doubled since Alliance 2017, and in the Republic of Northern Macedonia this number tripled over the past year, "she said. Whitecross also stressed that Montenegro - first as a partner and now as a member - is responsibly contributing to Euro-Atlantic security, including KFOR missions in Kosovo, "Decent Support" in Afghanistan, Enhanced NATO presence in Latvia and intends to participate in the training mission in Iraq. "NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has been pleased to discuss our longstanding relationship when he hosted the president (Milo) Djukanovic at the NATO headquarters in Brussels in March this year and thanked him for the continued contribution of Montenegro in improving security," she said.
Text by Milos Rudovic, on June 20th, 2019, read more at Vijesti
