Press
Release
(2008)160

15 Dec. 2008

Informal meeting of NATO Defence Ministers

Cracow, Poland, 19-20 February 2009

1. Information

Defence Ministers will hold informal meetings in Cracow, Poland, on Thursday 19 and Friday 20 February 2009, under the chairmanship of the NATO Secretary General, Mr Jaap de Hoop Scheffer. The Minister of Defence of Poland, His Excellency Mr Bogdan Klich, will host the meetings.

2. Programme and pools

The detailed Media Programme will be available upon accreditation. All media events will be transmitted live to the Media Centre via closed circuit TV. Via a system of pools, a restricted number of visual media will be invited to cover events with limited access. By accepting a pool card, cameramen and photographers agree to share their material with colleagues who have not had direct access to the venue. Pool cards will be available for pick-up from the Media Centre Information Desk from 10:00 on Thursday, 19 February.

A Conference will be held on 19 and 20 February and will be open for coverage by the media. The event to be organised by the Kracow-based Institute of Strategic Studies, a forum on Euroatlantic Security, will focus on “NATO before the Jubilee Summit – Does the Alliance need a New Strategic Concept?”.
Further information can be obtained from the ISS Project coordinator Tomasz Ozog or Media Assistant Ewa Bienkowska. For details please contact :

Tomasz Ozog
Projet Coordinator
Tel : +48 12 421 97 04
Fax : +48 12 421 62 50
E-mail : t.ozog@iss.krakow.pl

Or

Ewa Bienkowska
Media Assistant
Tel : +48 12 421 97 04
Fax : +48 12 421 62 50
E-mail : e.bienkowska@iss.krakow.pl

3. Venue

The Sheraton Hotel (ul. Powiśle 7, 31-101 Krakow) will be the venue for the ministerial meetings. The Media Centre will be located at the Auditorium Maximum of the Jagiellonski University (ul. Krupnicza 35, 31-123 Krakow). The Media Accreditation Office will be located in one of the designated media hotels, the Novotel Centre Hotel (ul. Tadeusza Kościuszki 5, 30-105 Krakow).

4. Accreditation and security checks

All Media representatives wishing to cover the ministerial meetings need to request accreditation. Applications for accreditation can only be made electronically on-line via internet, by clicking on the following link: https://my.hq.nato.int/jas.

The accreditation process is summarised on the NATO Website at the following link: http://www.nato.int/docu/pr/2008/p08-147e.html. It requires interested media representatives to create a user name and password and to provide a digital picture (3.5 x 4.5 cm passport-size photograph in JPEG format). Applications for accreditation should be made no later than noon on Monday 16 February 2009. Applications received after that date may encounter delay or be rejected. Media representatives having completed the request for accreditation on the internet must bring a print-out of the request confirmation. Late requests will not be considered for pools.

Access to the Media Centre requires a media pass. Media passes will not be mailed to applicants and must be picked up in person at the Media Accreditation Office upon presentation of a valid I.D. card or passport and a valid press card (or letter of accreditation from a recognised media organization).

Passes must be worn visibly at all times and secondary identification may always be asked for by security personnel. Media representatives are informed that security personnel will examine and may test equipment and personal effects carried onto the site, and they are advised to arrive with sufficient lead time to clear security checks.

Television and radio broadcasters, wire services and photo agencies bringing bulky equipment are particularly urged to bring it into the Media Centre prior to 12:00 on Wednesday, 18 February 2009.

5. Hours of operation

 
Accreditation Office
Media Centre
Wed 18 Feb 10:00 – 18:00 08:00 – 20:00
Thu 19 Feb 08:00 – 20:00 08:00 – End of operations
Fri 20 Feb 07:00 – 14:30 07:00 – End of operations

 

6. Broadcasting

Twelve television (each with Internet and phone) and 8 radio editing booths (each with ISDN, Internet and phone) are located in the Media Centre. A TV studio, a  radio interview room and 2 TV stand up positions are also available.

Satellite uplink trucks and O.B. vans will be parked next to the Media Centre.

The Host Television Broadcaster, Telewizja Polska SA (TVP SA), will provide live coverage of arrivals of delegations, the public sessions of all meetings, and major international news conferences. If live transmission of events is not possible, it will be broadcast as soon as possible via CCTV.

For enquiries or to book a TV studio or TV editing booth, please contact:

Grazyna Baczynska
Telephone: +48 225 476 023
Mobile : +48 601 600 286
E-mail: Grazyna.Baczynska@waw.tvp.pl

The Host Radio Broadcaster, Polskie Radio SA (PR SA), will provide the signal and technical assistance. For enquiries, or to book the radio studio or a radio editing booth, please contact:

Anna Godek
Telephone: + 48 508 011 383
Fax : + 48 22 645 53 57
E-mail: anna.godek@polskieradio.pl

7. Communications

Laptop computers will need to be equipped with RJ 45 plugs in order to be able to connect to the LAN high-speed communication network in the Media Centre. Five ISDN lines will be available in the press working area for radio transmissions.
Please check if you need to use a Euro ISDN standard adaptor. Electricity supply in Poland is at 220 volts and plugs have two round pins.

8. Accommodation

Media representatives are encouraged to book their hotel rooms as soon as possible. The two recommended hotels (see below) are next to each other, and the Novotel will host a reception for the media on 19 February in the evening.
Hotel Novotel Center                                
Tadeusza Kościuszki 5
30-105 Krakow

Point of contact :
Sabina Kowal
Telephone : + 48 12 299 29 17
Fax : + 48 12 299 29 99
Email : H3372-SB1@accor.com
Use this hotel reservation form to book your room.

Hotel Ibis Center
Syrokomli 2
30-105 Krakow

Point of contact :
Katarzyna Leszczynska
Telephone : + 48 12 299 33 00
Fax : + 48 12 299 33 33
Courriel : H3710@accor.com
Use this hotel reservation form to book your room.

9. Transport

Transport for the media representatives will be provided from the recommended hotel to the event sites and back. Transport from the airport to the recommended media hotel is the responsibility of each media representative.

10. Enquiries

  • Mr. Dariusz KRYSZK
    Polish Media Coordinator
    Telephone: +48 607 279 822
    Fax: +48 22 6 879 850
    E-mail: dkryszk@mon.gov.pl

 

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