Press Release (96)85 14 June 1996

Civil Emergency Planning Seminar with Cooperation Partners in Vilnius, Lithuania, 17-20 June, 1996 The NATO Food and Agriculture Planning Committee (FAPC), in cooperation with the Lithuanian Ministry of Agriculture, will conduct a seminar with Cooperation Partners in Vilnius, Lithuania, on 17-20 June, 1996. The theme of the Seminar is "Vulnerability of Food and Agriculture in Times of Emergencies and Disasters". This will be the first Partnership for Peace (PfP) seminar on this subject. Mr. Vytautas Einoris, Minister of Agriculture, will give the opening address. Mr. Jonas Panamariovas, Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture, and Mr. Leonard P. Mandrgoc, Chairman of the NATO Food and Agriculture Planning Committee, will co-chair the seminar. An estimated 85 participants from 10 Cooperation Partner nations and 12 NATO nations are expected to attend. Five Cooperation Partner nations and ten NATO nations will make presentations. The purpose of the seminar is to: exchange views and share emergency and disaster experiences with the aim of improving North Atlantic Cooperation Council(NACC)/PfP nations food and agriculture planning and response capabilities in times of emergencies and disasters in both NACC and PfP nations; and establish a network of food and agriculture experts and emergency planners within NACC/PfP nations, thereby providing an opportunity for further contact with FAPC, and possible future bilateral agreements and exchanges. For further information, please contact Mr. Lucien Servais, NATO Civil Emergency Planning Directorate, (Int'l +) 32 2 707 4650.