Informal NATO-Russia Foreign Ministers Meetings

Corfu, 27 June 2009

  • 27 Jun. 2009
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  • Press Release (2009) 082
  • Issued on 11 Jun. 2009
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  • Last updated: 26 Jun. 2009 15:57

Foreign Ministers of the NATO-Russia Council (NRC) will meet in Corfu, Greece, on Saturday 27 June 2009under the Chairmanship of the NATO Secretary General, Mr. Jaap de Hoop Scheffer. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greece, Her Excellency Ms. Dora Bakoyannis, will host the meeting.

  1. The meeting will take place at the Grecotel Corfu Imperial. As described in more detail below, media representatives who have requested accreditation to the informal Foreign Affairs ministers’ meeting of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) are considered to have applied also to cover the NRC meeting, and vice-versa: those requesting accreditation for the NRC meeting will be considered to have applied also to cover the OSCE meeting.

Programme and pools

  1. The detailed Media Programme of the meeting of the NATO-Russia Council will be available upon accreditation in Corfu. The meeting is expected to take place in the late afternoon of 27 June. The main elements of the programme will include the ministers’ arrivals (pool), opening remarks of the meeting (pool), and a concluding press conference.
  2. Attendance at the press conference is open to all accredited media, and will be streamed live on the NATO website. It will also be available live via satellite and on CCTV. The opening remarks of the meeting will be transmitted in the same way and can be followed from the press working area; those audiovisual media representatives who wish to cover the opening remarks from inside the Council chamber can introduce a request for a pool card in writing at the email address indicated at the end of this advisory. No confirmation will be sent. A small number of pool cards for restricted media events will be handed out at the Information Desk of the Media Centre to videographers and photographers who have accredited on time, as from 14h00 on 27 June.
  3. Photographers seeking pool photo materials should contact the Wire Service Photo Agency of which they are a member or client. NATO videographers and photographers will also provide audio-visual products of all media events on the NATO website or via the TV/Radio officer on site.

Accreditation and security checks

  1. Media representatives wishing to cover the meeting need to request accreditation. Applications for accreditation can only be made electronically on-line via internet, by clicking on the following link: https://my.hq.nato.int/jas. Applications previously submitted via the OSCE for the OSCE meeting are valid for the NRC.
  2. Applications should be made no later than 24h00 on Friday, 19 June 2009.Applications received after that date will encounter delays and may be rejected. Media representatives having completed the request for accreditation on the internet must bring with them a print-out of the request confirmation. Late requests will not be considered for pools.
  3. NATO’s regular procedures apply for accreditation at this meeting. The accreditation process requires media representatives using the system for the first time to create a username and password and to provide a digital picture (3.5 x 4.5 cm passport-size photograph in JPEG format). Furthermore, media representatives residing in Belgium are requested in the application web-interface to provide their Belgian press card number and issuing authority (the Belgian Ministry of Interior or the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs). Each request for accreditation is reviewed individually and whilst it is necessary, it does not guaranty a person the right to access the event.
  4. Media passes will not be mailed to applicants and must be picked up in person at the Media Accreditation Office at Corfu Airport Arrival lounge upon presentation of a valid I.D. card or passport and a valid press card (or letter of accreditation from a recognized media organisation). Passes need to be worn visibly at all times and secondary identification may be asked by security personnel at any time. Media representatives are informed that security personnel will examine and may test equipment and personal effects carried onto the site and are therefore advised to arrive with sufficient lead time to clear security checks.

Facilities

  1. The host nation is making available a press working area and briefing facilities. Television and radio editing booths will be available for radio and TV networks. Please call the EBU point of contact below for reservation of booths and stand-up positions on a first-come/first-served basis.
  2. EBU is establishing production and transmission facilities including standup positions for live programme inserts, tape playout (multi-format) and connectivity to the Eurovision global network. The feedpoint is expected to be operational from the evening of 26 June 2009, at the Imperial Corfu Grecotel. Booking contact details are found at the end of this advisory. The on-site producer is Mr. Bruno Beeckman, Tel: +30.69.37.339.295.
  3. Broadcasters, wire services and photo agencies bringing bulky equipment are encouraged to bring it into the Media Centre early on Saturday 27 June.

Opening hours

  Accreditation Office Media Centre
Friday 26 June 2009 15:00 – 21:00 18:00 – 21:30
Saturday 27 June 2009 08h00 – 19h30

08h00 - end of operations
Sunday 28 June 2009 (OSCE) From 08h00 08h00 - end of operations

Accomodation & Transport

  1. The Greek hosts have identified a number of hotels where media are welcome. See on the right for the list of media recommended hotel. Deadline for preferential rates is 15 June 2009. Transport will be organised to and from these hotels to the media centre.

Points of contact

Press arrangements Mr. Damien Arnaud Tel: +32 (0)2 707 50 38
Greek Press Office Eleni Drakopoulou Tel: +30.210.368.1654
Accreditation Mr. Thomas Bellanger NRC-2009-corfu@hq.nato.int
Fax: +32 (0)2 707 13 99
Pool Cards Requests By email only : NRC-2009-corfu@hq.nato.int
TV and Radio Mr. Jean-Marc Lorgnier (NATO) Tel: +32 (0)2 707 50 06
Mr. Fanis Papathanasiou, ERTMrs. Vasso Mitsopoulou, ERT Tel: +30.6979.98.1224Tel: +30.6975.88.4213
  Mr. Bruno Beeckman, EBU
newsoperations@eurovision.net
Tel: +30.69.37.339.295
Tel: +41.22.717.2840