Informal meeting of NATO-Russia Council Foreign Ministers

General information

1. Foreign Ministers of the NATO-Russia Council will hold an informal meeting in New York, United States of America, in the morning of Wednesday 22 September 2010. The meeting will be chaired by the NATO Secretary General, Mr. Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who will hold a press conference after its conclusion. This advisory contains important time lines for media attendance and participation.
2. The Waldorf Astoria Hotel (301 Park Avenue, New York, NY) is the venue for the ministerial meeting and SG press conference, and the NATO website is the source of all related further information.

Programme and media access

3. These are the media opportunities : 1/ limited visual coverage (TV cameras and photographers only) of the opening remarks of the NATO-Russia Council meeting, and 2/ the press conference(s) concluding the event. The Secretary General’s press conference will be held in the Waldorf Astoria in the late morning. Press conferences by ministers may follow and will be announced to attending press.
4. Requests for access to event 1 above must be introduced by photographers and camerapersons via email (arnaud.damien@hq.nato.int) as soon as possible and no later than 6 pm local time on 20 September 2010. A limited number of pool cards allowing for access to this event will be allocated equitably by US and NATO Media coordinators. Detailed arrangements will be made with persons whose request has been granted.
5. The press conference(s) will be open to all accredited media. Access to the Press Conference will be possible as from 9.00 a.m. at the Waldorf Astoria’s Park Avenue entrance. Those media representatives wishing to bring in TV, photo or large recording equipment in the press conference room must arrive at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel at 5h30 a.m. to screen and pre-position.
6. There is no live coverage foreseen. The opening remarks and the Secretary General’s press conference will be available on the NATO website after the event. The NATO TV/Radio office in Brussels will make available video and still photographic material via the website and upon request in broadcast quality; furthermore, an edited package will also be available upon request via the NATO Office in Brussels after the meeting.

Media accreditation

7. Prior accreditation is required and must be made on line: https://my.hq.nato.int/
8. Applications for accreditation must be submitted before 22:00 GMT (18:00 Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on Tuesday 21 September 2010. Applications received after that deadline will not be considered.
9. Identification requirements for entrance: photo identification and a valid press credential from the UN General Assembly or from a recognised national authority.
10. Security screening will take place upon entering the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, which frequently results in long lines and delays getting into the hotel. Media representatives should time their arrival on site accordingly.

Facilities / transport / accommodation

11. There are no media facilities foreseen to file on site or to conduct interviews. The press conference room will be cabled for sound in three languages. Wi-Fi is normally provided on the premises of the Waldorf Astoria but the reliability of the signal may vary.
12. Media representatives interested in covering the meeting should make their own arrangements regarding transport, accommodations and / or visa. Access to the Hotel will be difficult on 22 September and media representatives are encouraged to allow for extra time to pass through security controls.

Enquiries

Telephone: +32 (0)2 707 50 41. Fax: +32 (0)2 707 50 57.
press@hq.nato.int – http//www.nato.int