The opening remarks were delivered by Colonel Elvedin Omic, Commandant of the PSOTC, Colonel Erich Simburger, Austrian Military Attaché in Sarajevo, and Major General Anton Wessely, Commander of EUFOR.
The five-day residential course was attended by 33 civilian, diplomatic and military participants from18 countries. Each of them was asked to complete an eLearning phase prior to their arrival, which was designed to provide give an overview of the main topics of the course.
The aim of the CSDP Orientation Course is to deliver a broad understanding of the Common Security and Defence Policy of the European Union: its complex structure and decision-making process, crisis-management procedures and crisis-response mechanism, and its integrated approach to external conflicts and crises.
Throughout the week, the participants took part in group activities which saw them interact with one another and discuss specific topics assigned to them. In addition to offering an opportunity for knowledge development, the course was a useful networking platform designed to foster and harmonise cooperation among people working in the field of CSDP with different experiences and expertise to share.
Backed by the expertise of speakers from various institutions across Europe, the course comprised lectures by members of academic and training institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina, who shared their knowledge with course members.
The course concluded with a lecture delivered by Mr Riccardo Scalas from the Netherlands National Defence Academy and with closing remarks by the Austrian Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Her Excellency Dr Ulrike Hartmann, and by the PSOTC Commandant.
The number of people that attended this Orientation Course even in these challenging times confirms that the course represents an important tool for European cooperation in the field of CSDP.
We wish to take this opportunity to thank course director Ms Sandra Kick from the Austrian National Defence University, as well as the organisers from the PSOTC, specifically the Commandant and his staff, and all guest speakers and participants.
