Press Release (2006)105 8 Sept. 2006

North Atlantic Council meeting at the level of Foreign Ministers New York – 21 September 2006 1.  Information Foreign Ministers of NATO will hold a meeting in New York, NY, United States, on 21 September 2006, under the chairmanship of the NATO Secretary General, Mr. Jaap de Hoop Scheffer. Ms. Condoleezza Rice, U.S. Secretary of State, will host the meeting. The Waldorf Astoria Hotel, 301 Park Avenue, New York, NY is the venue for the ministerial session. 2.  Accreditation and Security Checks The Media Accreditation Office will be located at the State Department’s New York Foreign Press Center, 150 E. 52nd Street, two blocks from the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. Opening hours of the Media Accreditation Office: Tuesday, 19 September 10:00am – 5:30pm Wednesday, 20 September 10:00am – 5:30pm Thursday, 21 September 8:00am – 11:00am Application forms: .PDF/79Kb - If you have the commercial Adobe Acrobat .DOC/535Kb - If you have Microsoft Word .RTF/40Kb Applications for accreditation should be sent by e-mail: New York Foreign Press Center E-mail: nyfpc@state.gov Applications for accreditation should be submitted before 17:00, September 15. Applications received after that date may not be processed. Press passes will be available for collection at the Media Accreditation Office from 10:00 hours on Tuesday, 19 September 2006. Press passes to be worn visibly will not be mailed to applicants. They may be collected personally at the Media Accreditation Office on presentation of a UN Press ID, a Foreign Press Center ID, or a New York Police Department Press ID.  If you do not have any of these identifications, a letter of accreditation on original letterhead from a recognized media organization’s assignment editor will be required. All media representatives are informed that security personnel will examine and may test equipment and personal effects carried onto the site and are advised to arrive with sufficient time to clear the security checks. 3. Media Centre There will be no dedicated media centre, or host TV/radio to provide coverage. Media representatives are expected to file their stories from their New York Office.   Media representatives who do not have the possibility to do so, upon request may use the existing facilities at the Foreign Press Center. Opening hours of the Foreign Press Center: Wednesday, 20 September 9:00am – 5:30pm Thursday, 21 September 9:00am – 5:30pm 4. Communications Laptop computers will need to be equipped with RJ 45 plugs in order to be able to connect to the high-speed communication network at the Foreign Press Center. 5. Programme and pools The final detailed programme of the meeting will be available upon accreditation. Media events will begin on Thursday, 21 September. Pool cards will be distributed at the Foreign Press Center at 16:00 hours on Wednesday, 20 September. 6. Visas, Accommodation and Transport Visas Please check with the nearest United States Embassy or Consulate General regarding visa requirements.  Please mention that you will cover the NATO foreign ministers meeting when applying for a visa. Accommodation Media representatives are advised to book their hotel rooms as soon as possible.  Transport Media representatives will use the existing Public Transport to and from the airports.  7. Payment All major credit cards and bank transfers will be accepted for payments. Currency exchange is available at Banks and currency exchange offices in New York. 8. Enquiries Mr. François Le Blévennec NATO Media Co-ordinator NATO Press and Media Section NATO Headquarters Telephone:     +32 (0)2 707 50 38 Mobile:          +32 475 47 02 25 Fax:              +32 (0)2 707 50 57 E-mail:           leblevennec.francois@hq.nato.int