Assemblée parlementaire de l'OTAN
HomeMEDIA RESOURCES201128 February 2011 - NATO MEMBERS AND PARTNER PARLIAMENTARIANS EXPLORE IMPLICATIONS OF POPULAR UPRISINGS IN THE MENA REGION

NATO MEMBERS AND PARTNER PARLIAMENTARIANS EXPLORE IMPLICATIONS OF POPULAR UPRISINGS IN THE MENA REGION

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On 1-2 March, 50 parliamentarians from NATO Member countries and Mediterranean Associate and Partner parliaments, senior Greek government officials, leading experts from Europe and North Africa, and representatives of the diplomatic community will gather in Athens for a seminar entitled: “Political Unrest, Economic Uncertainty and Security in the Mediterranean”. The seminar has been organized under the aegis of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly’s Mediterranean and Middle East Special Group, chaired by Turkish MP Vahit Erdem, and in collaboration with the Hellenic Parliament.

This year’s seminar will largely focus on the profound political changes now sweeping across North Africa and the Middle East.  It will explore how these changes are altering the security landscape of the region for NATO member and non member countries alike. Other topics include the political and economic situation in Lebanon, NATO engagement in the region, and the economic and financial crisis in the Mediterranean region and the way this is shaping the broader defense and security environment.  Greece’s Foreign Minister, Dimitris Droutsas, Defense Minister, Evangelos Venizelos,  and  Deputy Finance Minister, Philippos Sachinidis are all expected to address the seminar, as are a number of leading regional experts.

The President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, German MP, Dr. Karl A. Lamers, recently called for the Assembly to develop a new approach to the region and to prepare to engage directly those democratic forces emerging in countries long living under autocratic regimes. The Athens Seminar of the Mediterranean and Middle East Special Group will begin to develop the modalities for this new relationship.  “The Assembly”, Dr. Lamers recently noted, “stands prepared to respond to any appeals to assist in democratic institution building in the region”. 
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