Deputizing for His Majesty King Abdullah II, Supreme Commander of the Jordan Armed Forces- Arab army (JAF), Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Major General Yousef Hunaiti Monday led the graduation ceremony of the 20th National Defense College course of holders of the Master’s degree in Management and Strategic Studies and the Master’s program in Countering Extremism and Terrorism Strategies.

Officers from JAF, security services and employees from various Ministries and institutions participated in the two programs, as well as Officers from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Yemen. Sudan, Pakistan, the United States and Germany, Petra news agency reported.

“The College is proud of presenting to the country, the armed forces and the participating countries a new group of promising leaders, who have received advanced scientific and intellectual qualifications in line with the requirements of the age that meet qualifications in major world universities, institutes and academies,” said the College’s Commander Brigadier General Azzam Rawahneh.

He told the ceremony that the College, in implementation of the visions of His Majesty the King and the message of the JAF, had made remarkable development and modernization.

The Commander said that through the development of the organizational structure, study plans and curricula within a world-class approach incorporating strategic planning and decision-making in the digital world, the College had embarked on implementing a development plan of its infrastructure and the technical and academic structures.

The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff wrote in the guestbook, expressing his pride in the advanced military and academic levels the students at the Royal National Defense College have reached.

The graduation ceremony was attended by the Director of Public Security, Senior Officers of the Armed Forces and security services, the President of Mutah University, civilian officials as well as Ambassadors and Military Attachés from the countries of the graduates.

In another development, His Majesty King Abdullah on Monday met with Commander of US Central Command General Michael E. Kurilla at Al Husseiniya Palace.

Discussions covered means of enhancing defence cooperation between Jordan and the United States, as well as regional and international efforts to countre-terrorism, according to a royal court statement.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Major General Yousef Hneiti attended the meeting.