AFA courses start for the new academic year

: Published: Wednesday, 20 September 2017 13:48

The ceremony of the Armed Forces Academy (AFA) for 2017 - 2018 academic year courses was held at the premises of the Ministry of Defense.

Present at this ceremony was the Minister of Defense, Olta Xhaçka, accompanied by the Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces Brigadier General Bardhyl Kollçaku as well as commanders of the other forces.

In her speech, Minister Xhaçka congratulated the trainees for starting the new academic year and expressed her confidence to further increase the quality of those who, as she said, "chose to be the security and protection of the country".

Further on, she appreciated the role of education in increasing the professionalism of the Armed Forces as one of the requirements of the governing program. "The new program of the Albanian government on security and defense requires increasing professionalism, interoperability and operability of the Armed Forces, it requires proceeding with transformation, modernization and fulfilling the commitments within the Alliance, implementing strategic documents, developing capacities, ensuring security and coping with all threat scenarios. As a result, it requires new approach to development and consolidation of the education system, in order to make it as qualitative and flexible as possible in the context of developing the Armed Forces and the society itself. Education must steadily anticipate the transformation of the Armed Forces by updating the methodology, curricula and military doctrines, to unify the processes and to ensure interoperability with the allies in order to meet the national needs in conditions of a new security environment, being compatible with the national education system and schools of NATO countries."- said Minister Xhaçka, who also mentioned the treatment with the special CMD of the academic staff of Armed Forces Academy, equalizing it with the other academic staff of higher education institutions, for which she said it is an appreciation the Albanian government gives to this institution and the Armed Forces itself."

The Academy of Armed Forces, which this academic year marks the 60th anniversary of establishment of the military education institution, develops all military career courses, starting from the Senior Defense and Security Course (KLSM) Command and General Staff Course (KKSHP), Basic Training Course of Staff Officer (KTHOSH) and the Educational Training Course for New Officer (KAPO).

This academic year, the Senior Defense and Security Course is frequented by 16 civilians and militaries of high level, ten NATO and partner countries such as, Albania, Great Britain, Italy, Greece, Romania, Turkey, Kosovo, Georgia and Macedonia.