NATO Airborne Early Warning Aircraft (AWACS) will provide
support for two major public events: the Royal Wedding in
Spain and the Euro 2004 Portuguese Championship.
The Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), General
James Jones, announced the decision on 13 May. On the request
of the Spanish government, AWACS surveillance will be provided,
21-22 May, for Crown Prince Felipe and Letizia Ortiz's
wedding ceremony in Madrid. Similarly, the Portuguese government
requested assistance for the European football championship
to be hosted this summer in cities across the country.
NATO has committed itself to surveillance operations for
public events on previous occasions. It has, for instance,
provided assistance for a meeting of the Food and Agriculture
Organisation (FAO) in Rome, June 2002, for an EU Summit
meeting in Greece, June 2003, for the Barcelona Forum Opening
Ceremony early May 2004 and will be assisting Greece during
the Olympic Games this summer.
