19 May 2008
PR 190508 E
This
is not a NATO Press Release
NATO PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY
SESSION IN BERLIN
23-27 May 2008
In 1993, less than four years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the
capital of reunited Germany, hosted the spring session of North Atlantic
Assembly's then 16 member nations. In November 2000, Berlin again hosted the
46th Annual Session of the newly re-named NATO Parliamentary Assembly which by
then included 19 member parliaments. From 23 to 27 May, the now 26 members
delegations from NATO member countries meet again in Berlin along with
legislators from more than 20 non-member parliaments, including Russia, Ukraine,
Georgia, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. Altogether, about 340 parliamentarians are
expected to participate.
The 5-day session will take place in the
Bundestag where the NATO PA's five committees (Political, Defence and Security,
Science and Technology, Civil Dimension of Security, Economics and Security)
will consider a wide range of reports on issues that remain at the centre of the
debate about Western security, such as operations in Afghanistan, Kosovo and the
future of the Balkans, NATO's future political agenda, democracy and security in
Central Asia, NATOÂ’s present and future partnerships, energy security, reducing
global nuclear threats, state and religion in the Black Sea Region,
etc.
Committee speakers include German Federal Minister of Defence, Dr
Franz Jung, Lt. Gen Sher Karimi, Chief of Operations Afghan National
Army, Hon. Douglas Bereuter, President of the Asia Foundation,
Daniel Fata, US Deputy Secretary Assistant of Defense for European and
NATO policy, and Air Marshal Christopher Moran, Deputy Commander at Joint
Force Command Brunssum.
Assembly President, José Lello will open
the plenary meeting on Tuesday 27 followed by Klaus Wowereit, Governing
Mayor of Berlin and Göran Lenmarker, President of the OSCE PA.
There will be question and answer sessions after speeches by NATO Secretary
General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer; Supreme Allied Commander Europe General
Bantz John Craddock, and Vice-Chancellor and Minister of Foreign Affairs
Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
The plenary session will be broadcast
live on web tv at: http://www.bundestag.de/htdocs_e/parliament/plenary/tv.html.
NATO Parliamentary Assembly
President, Jose LELLO and
the Head of the German Delegation to the NATO PA,
Karl LAMERS
will give a detailed
PRESS BRIEFING
at 10:00 am, Friday 23
May
3M001, Third Level, Reichstag Building
During this Spring Session, the Assembly will also ask its
members to begin discussions on the issues and ideas that they feel should
feature in any new strategic concept to be developed by NATO.
The Session
is open to accredited Media. For information, members of the Press should
contact the NATO PA Press Service: + 32 2 5 0 48 154. For accreditation they
should contact the Deutscher Bundestag Press service at + 49 (0) 30 227
35570. http://www.nato-pa.int/default.asp?SHORTCUT=1368
Consult http://www.nato-pa.int/default.asp?SHORTCUT=1368 for
regular updates.
The NATO
Parliamentary Assembly is an interparliamentary organization,
independent
from NATO, which provides a link between NATO and the
parliaments of its
member countries. The Assembly also brings together
legislators from
NATO member and non-member countries to consider
security-related issues of
common interest and concern.
************************************************************************************
Roberta
Calorio
Rose-Roth Programmes and Media Relations Officer
NATO
Parliamentary Assembly
International Secretariat
Place du Petit Sablon
3
B - 1000 Brussels
'
+32 2 504 8154 (Direct Line)
' +32 2 513 2865
(Switchboard)
1 +32 2
514 1847
* rcalorio@nato-pa.int
Website: www.nato-pa.int