Informal NATO Defence Ministers’ Meeting,
London, United Kingdom,
18-19 September 2008

1. Information

Defence Ministers will hold informal meetings in London, United Kingdom, on Thursday 18 and Friday 19 September 2008, under the Chairmanship of the NATO Secretary General, Mr. Jaap de Hoop Scheffer. The United Kingdom Secretary of State for Defence, the Right Honourable Des Browne MP, will host the meetings. The meetings will focus on transformation of the Alliance and its military forces.

2. Programme

Because of the very informal nature of these meetings, press opportunities will only consist of a press conference by the NATO Secretary General to be held at the Victory Services Club (63-79 Seymour Street, London W2 2HF) around 3:15 p.m. on Friday, 19 September.

Some Allied Ministers may decide to brief the press immediately following the NATO Secretary General, at the same location or elsewhere in town. Please contact NATO national delegations for confirmation and details.

There is no provision for satellite truck parking outside the Victory Services Club, no broadcasting or editing facilities will be provided, and no special press centre will be set up by NATO or the host country on this occasion.

Limited videos and photos of the events will be available on free download from the NATO Website (www.nato.int).

The Secretary General’s Press conferences, and main briefings after him, will be interpreted to and from English and French.

3. Meeting place

The ministerial meetings will be held at Lancaster House (Stable Yard, St James’, London, SW1A 1BB).

4. Accreditation and Security Checks

The media accreditation office will be located at the Victory Services Club 63-79 Seymour Street, London W2 2HF (located at the West End of Oxford Steet, close to ‘’Marble Arch’’ tube Station).

As usual, media representatives wishing to cover the press conference(s) need to accredit themselves. Applications for accreditation should be submitted on-line only, through the internet, to the following address: https://my.hq.nato.int/jas.

Interested media representatives who do not yet have an account should give themselves a user name and password and provide a digital photograph (ID photo, 3.5 x 4.5 cm, JPEG format). Those who already have an account should simply open it and select the box for the desired meeting from the list presented.

Applications must be submitted by Tuesday 16 September 2008 at 5:00 p.m. Requests received after that date risk encountering delays and could be rejected.

Media representatives who have completed the internet request for accreditation should bring a paper print-out of the confirmation given them.

Access to the press conference(s) requires a pass provided by the accreditation office. This pass will not be mailed to applicants, and must be collected in person from the media accreditation office, on presentation of a valid ID card or passport and a valid press card (or letter of accreditation from a recognized media organization).

Passes need to be worn visibly at all times, and a further identity document may be asked for by security personnel at any time. Media representatives are informed that security personnel will examine and may test equipment and personal effects brought onto the site, and are advised to arrive in good time for security checks.

Media passes will be issued from 1:00 p.m. onwards on Friday 19 september 2008.

5. Stand up positions

TV stand up positions will be available in the vicinity of Lancaster House. For further informations, please contact directly :

• Mr Jim Akhurst
  European Broadcasting Union (EBU)
  Mobile phone : +44 7973 664420
  Email adress : akhurst@eurovision.net

6. Requests for information

• Mr Darragh McElroy
  Media Coordinator for the United Kingdom
  Telephone: +44 (0)207 218 7909
  Fax: +44 (0)207 218 6460
  E-mail address: darragh.mcelroy658@mod.uk

• Mr Damien Arnaud
  NATO Media Coordinator
  Telephone: +32 (0)2 707 50 38
  Fax: + 32 (0)2 707 50 57
  E-mail address: press-at-london@hq.nato.int

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