Press Release (2004)054 19 March 2004

Ceremony to mark the accession to NATO of Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia and informal working luncheon of Foreign Ministers Brussels, 2 April 2004 Second Media Advisory 1. Information A ceremony to mark the accession of Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia to the North Atlantic Treaty will take place at NATO Headquarters on Friday, 2 April 2004. The ceremony will be followed by an informal working luncheon of Foreign Ministers, which will also be held at NATO Headquarters. 2. Accreditation Media representatives in possession of a permanent NATO press card need not apply for accreditation. Media representatives not in possession of a permanent NATO press card, who wish to cover the accession ceremony at NATO HQ and/or the informal working lunch of Foreign Ministers at the Palais d’Egmont need to apply before 30 March. Applications for accreditation can only be made electronically on-line, by clicking on the following link: http://www.nato.int/jas In order to complete your accreditation request, you will need to provide a digital picture. Only a 3,5 x 4,5 cm passport-size identity photograph in JPEG format will be accepted. Every applicant has to create a user name and a password. For the ceremony at NATO HQ, press badges will have to be collected personally at the accreditation office on the Eastern car park, just outside the NATO main gate site entrance. Accreditation procedures will end at 09:20, when the NATO gate closes. For the informal working lunch of Foreign Ministers at the Palais d’Egmont, press badges will be delivered from 10:30 hours at the entrance to the Palais d’Egmont. 3. Parking The Eastern parking area outside the NATO site entrance will be reserved for the Press. A special row will be allocated to outside broadcasting vans. 4. Programme At NATO Headquarters 07:30 - 08:50 Accreditation   Arrival of Foreign Ministers   Flag-raising ceremony in the Cour d’Honneur. The national anthem of each new member, in English alphabetical order, is played as their flag is raised   Official portrait of the Secretary General and 26 Allied Foreign Ministers   Ceremonial meeting of the North Atlantic Council 11:20 NATO Secretary General’s joint news conference with Foreign Ministers of the seven new members   Informal working luncheon of Foreign Ministers 15:15 NATO Secretary General’s News Conference   Informal meeting of NATO Russia Council Foreign Ministers 17:15 News Conference following the NATO Russia Council