The Atlantic Treaty Association and the NATO Parliamentary Assembly have worked alongside each other since their inception in the 1950s.
The NATO PA was one of the first institutions to engage with the region, starting a dialogue with MENA countries already in the early 1990s. The GSM was launched in 1996 as a formal mechanism to address regional challenges, and engage leaders from the region in constructive dialogue.
Two sessions are held each year - in the Spring and Autumn (‘Annual’) - in different countries.
Concept: combining the NATO star with a parliamentary hemicycle