A delegation from Colombia’s War College visited NATO headquarters in Brussels on 24 September as part of its annual Advanced Military Studies Course trip.
Students on the visit also included participants from Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador and Mexico, NATO informed on Thursday.
The group toured the headquarters and received briefings on NATO’s political and military structure, decision-making and responsibilities.
The head of the International Military Staff Cooperative Security Division’s Military Cooperation Branch, Capt (N) Philippe Vitel, told the students that “strengthening cooperation with NATO partners such as Colombia is essential.”
Talks on NATO’s partnerships and cooperation with Colombia
Javier Colomina, the NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative for the Southern Neighbourhood and Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Security Policy and NATO Affairs, delivered a keynote speech on the Alliance following the Ankara Summit during the visit.
He also outlined NATO’s partnership framework and its role in activities including defence capacity building, interoperability — the ability of different forces to work together — and crisis management.
The delegation later attended an expert panel focused on NATO–Colombia cooperation, including the NATO–Colombia Individually Tailored Partnership Programme, which NATO described as covering practical military cooperation.
The NATO Defense College also briefed the group on links between senior military education, strategy and policy.
Colombia became NATO’s first and only partner country in Latin America in 2017.
Areas of cooperation include cyber security, counter-terrorism and maritime security, and Colombia provides demining training to NATO Allies and other partner countries through its Colombia International Demining Centre.
