Bucharest, 9 October 2011 - NATO PARLIAMENTARIANS SUPPORT LIBYAN PEOPLE, CONDEMN SYRIAN REGIME AND VOICE SUPPORT FOR MIDEAST DEMOCRACY

Lawmakers from the NATO Allies urged all parties in Libya to “work towards a Libya that meets the aspirations of its people, based on democracy, the rule of law, respect of human rights, and civilian control of the military".

After the NATO mission in Libya revealed important military capability gaps among member states, the draft resolution adopted by the Assembly’s Defence and Security Committee expressed concern that dramatic reductions in national defence budgets could erode the Alliance’s capacity to manage future crises effectively.

The draft resolution on Supporting the Libyan people, presented by Estonian lawmaker Sven Mikser also urges NATO governments to "ensure that the financial resources and the expertise necessary for a rapid and successful stabilization and reconstruction are available to the Libyan people, as well as for the resettlement of vulnerable refugees".

Presenting the draft resolution on political transformation in the region to the Assembly’s Political Committee Bulgarian parliamentarian Assen Agov said that "the Middle East and North Africa region is in NATO’s backyard, its security concerns our own, and we have intervened to save lives in the conflict in Libya."

The draft resolution adopted by the Assembly’s Political Committee denounced the "violence and brutality deployed by regimes against peaceful protesters, most notably in Libya and Syria,’’ and deplored the loss of innocent lives in the struggle for freedom.

The draft, which is expected to be adopted by the full Assembly on Monday, "condemns the Syrian regime for its disproportionate use of deadly force against the Syrian people and demands that it puts an immediate end to it and engages in an open, meaningful dialogue with the opposition".

Legislators urged NATO governments to “reaffirm their commitment to assist the new governments of the MENA region in providing a secure and stable environment for citizens.”

NATO parliamentarians pledged to stand ready to provide support, when requested, to new parliamentary bodies in the region during and after the transition period.