Brussels, London, 16 December 2019 - The leaders of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly expressed their deep regret that British lawmaker Madeleine Moon would be unable to complete her second term as President as a result of the 12 December general elections in the United Kingdom.
They noted that during her tenure between November 2018 and December 2019, she reinvigorated the Assembly’s efforts to reach out to the successor generation and ensured that the Assembly adapted to take account of the increasing turnover among its members. To cite just a few of her other accomplishments, she strengthened the relationships with non-member delegations, in particular the delegations from Georgia and Ukraine.
In her farewell message to Assembly members, Mrs Moon noted the following:
“It has been an enormous honour to serve as the President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. The Assembly is a remarkable community of parliamentarians who play a key role in promoting NATO’s values and helping to build security and stability in the Euro-Atlantic region and beyond. The importance of parliamentary diplomacy and engagement cannot be underestimated in building Alliance cohesion and understanding.
I feel privileged to have worked alongside so many dedicated and thoughtful colleagues from so many different nations. I will miss them all greatly and would like to thank them all for their friendship, confidence and unfailing support.”
The duties of the NATO PA Presidency have been assumed by Assembly Vice President Attila Mesterházy. Mr Mesterházy currently serves as vice-chairman of the Foreign Affairs committee of the Hungarian parliament. In 2010-2014, he was the Chairman of the Hungarian Socialist Party and the party’s candidate for the office of Prime Minister in the 2010 and 2014 elections.