NATO Secretary General and Permanent Representatives to attend NATO-UAE Public Diplomacy Conference in Abu Dhabi
The Secretary General of NATO, H.E. Mr. Anders Fogh Rasmussen, and NATO Permanent Representatives on the North Atlantic Council will travel to the United Arab Emirates on 29-30 October 2009.
They will attend the International Conference on "NATO-UAE Relations and the Way Forward in the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative”, to take place on 29 October at the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi. This conference is co-organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates and the NATO Public Diplomacy Division.
This international event will bring together 300 participants, including the Secretary General of NATO, NATO Permanent Representatives on the North Atlantic Council, the Deputy Secretary General of NATO, the Chairman of the NATO Military Committee and high level NATO officials with government representatives, opinion leaders, academics and senior scholars from countries in the Gulf region invited in the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative. The conference main objectives are to promote a better mutual understanding between NATO and ICI invited countries and to introduce fresh perceptions and ideas from the region on the implementation of the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates, H.H. Sheikh Abdallah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, will deliver the conference opening address and the Secretary General of NATO H.E. Mr. Anders Fogh Rasmussen will give the keynote speech.
During the visit to the UAE the Secretary General of NATO, H.E. Mr. Anders Fogh Rasmussen, will hold bilateral meetings with the Prime Minister, Vice President of the UAE, Minister of Defense and Ruler of Dubai H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, with the Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan and with the Minister of Foreign Affairs H.H. Sheikh Abdallah bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
On 29 October, both the opening of the conference, at 1000 hrs local time - 0700 hrs Brussels time, including the opening address by the Minister of Foreign Affairs H.H. Sheikh Abdallah bin Zayed Al Nahyan and the keynote address by the NATO Secretary General, H.E. Mr. Anders Fogh Rasmussen, and the press conference, at 1700 hrs local time – 1400 hrs Brussels time, with the Secretary General and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, will be available on world feed and streamed live on the NATO website.