Assemblée parlementaire de l'OTAN
HomeMEDIA RESOURCES201117 May 2011 - LIBYA AND PAKISTAN HIGH ON THE AGENDA OF THE ESC –PCTR VISIT TO THE UNITED STATES

17 May 2011 - LIBYA AND PAKISTAN HIGH ON THE AGENDA OF THE ESC –PCTR VISIT TO THE UNITED STATES

Facebook
Twitter
Delicious
Google Buzz
diggIt
RSS

38 legislators from 18 NATO member states visited Washington D.C. and Chicago from 9 to13 May, in the aftermath of the killing of Osama bin Laden and the dramatic events unfolding in Libya, Syria and other North African States.

The current situation in Afghanistan, relations with Pakistan, the situation in North Africa and the Middle East, China and the state of the transatlantic relationship, were among the discussed issues. In addition, economic and financial issues, including food security, defence budgets, the continuing economic and financial crisis, were also high on the agenda of the visit.

Concerning Libya, speakers and participants supported NATO’s engagement, particularly as it protects the civil population which is targeted by the regime in Tripoli.  The exchanges also revealed consensus that the situation on the ground remains unclear and poses a challenge to the international community, including NATO.  Discussions on Afghanistan focused on the possible implications of the death of bin Laden and US-Pakistani bilateral relations.  American interlocutors generally considered Pakistan an important actor for Afghan and regional security though there was uncertainty to what degree Islamabad is capable of taking on the insurgency. 

The meetings in Washington, DC included an exchange with Congressional leaders, consultations with senior officials from the Departments of State and Defense as well as representatives of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). 

In Chicago, independent experts with the Chicago Council on Global Affairs spoke on a broad range of issues, including current developments in the Middle East and North Africa, the economic challenges the American Mid-West confronts and how these are condition the local political environment, and bioterrorism.  The programme concluded with a briefing at the Boeing Corporation and meetings with senior representatives of the John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. 

The delegation, the Assembly’s Economics and Security Committee (ESC) and the Political Committee’s Sub-Committee on Transatlantic Relations (PCTR), was led by Hugh Bayley (United Kingdom ) and José Luis Arnaut (Portugal ).
Share