This Friday, 25 May, the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Spring Session will begin in Tallinn, in Swissôtel. On the opening day at 11 a.m., the President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Karl Lamers, the Head of the Estonian delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Marko Mihkelson and the Secretary General of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly David Hobbs will give a press conference on the upcoming session.

On Friday afternoon, the meeting of the NATO–Russia Parliamentary Committee (“at 29” format) will take place. Ibtisam al-Ktebi, a professor at the United Arab Emirates University, will make a report on security issues in Middle East and North Africa. Heads of the NATO PA delegations and a 10-member delegation of the Federal Assembly of Russia led by Vladimir Komoedov will participate in the committee meeting.

The standing committees of the Parliamentary Assembly will hold their sittings at Swissôtel on 26 and 27 May. Overviews will be by the Minister of Defence of Estonia Urmas Reinsalu, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia Urmas Paet and the Commander of the Estonian Defence Forces Riho Terras. At the plenary session on 28 May, the President of the Republic Toomas-Hendrik Ilves, the President of the Riigikogu Ene Ergma, the President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Karl Lamers and the NATO Deputy Secretary General Alexander Vershbow will deliver speeches. The plenary session will be broadcast live on the web and it can be followed at the Riigikogu website.

During four days, members of the parliaments of the NATO member states and guests will discuss the activities of the Alliance after the Chicago summit, the security problems in Middle East and North Africa, relations with international organisations, and cyber security and smart defence. More detailed information on the Spring Session is available at the NATO PA website of the Riigikogu.

On the occasion of the NATO PA Spring Session, the Estonian Atlantic Treaty Association will organise public screenings of documentaries in Cinema Artis on the evenings of 25 and 26 May. The screenings will be preceded by a discussion where experts of the field will speak of security issues with those interested. The screenings will be free and more information is available on the website of Cinema Artis            www.kino.ee.

The Riigikogu Press Service