Secretaries of delegations

232 SD 06 E

Original: English

 

 

NATO Parliamentary Assembly

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MINUTES

 

 

 

Meeting of the Secretaries of Delegations

Room 2000D, Québec City Convention Centre, Québec City, Canada

 

Monday 13 November 2006

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

International Secretariat                                                                                                 November 2006


ATTENDANCE LIST

 

 

Chairperson                                                               Elizabeth Rody (Chief of Protocol and Head of Conference Secretariat,

                         Parliament of Canada)

 

Secretary of the Canadian Delegation                  Denis Robert

 

Deputy Secretary General                                        David Hobbs

 

Deputy to the Secretary General for Partnerships

and External Relations                                              Andrea Cellino

 

Head, Conference Service                                       Gill Rawling

 

IT Manager                                                                  Dwight Griswold

 

Secretaries of delegations

Algeria (Council of the Nation)                                      Mahmoud Assala

Armenia (National Assembly)                                       Zabela Ghazaryan (acting)

Azerbaijan (National Assembly)                                    Rahim Akhundov

Bulgaria (National Assembly)                                       Borislav Penchev

Canada                                                                         At head table

Czech Republic (Senate)                                             Jiri Krbec

Czech Republic (Chamber of Deputies)                      Jana Schneeweissova

Denmark (Folketing)                                                     Morten Roland Hansen

Estonia (Riigikogu)                                                        Tanja Espe

European Parliament                                                    Luis Balsells (acting)

Finland (Eduskunta)                                                      Heikki Savola

France (National Assembly)                                         Frédéric Taillet

Georgia (Sakartvelos)                                                   Archil Osidze

Germany (Bundesrat)                                                   Annemarie Bürsch

Germany (Bundestag)                                                  Rainer Büscher

Greece (Chamber of Deputies)                                    Vassiliki Ioannidou (acting)

Hungary (National Assembly)                                       Károly Tüzes

Iceland (Althing)                                                            Stígur Stefánsson

Italy (Chamber of Deputies)                                          Cristina De Cesare

Latvia (Saeima)                                                             Sandra Paura

Lithuania (Seimas)                                                        Snieguole Ziukaite

Luxembourg (Chamber of Deputies)                            Isabelle Barra

Netherlands                                                                   Leo van Waasbergen

Norway (Storting)                                                          Marit Gjelten

Poland (Sejm)                                                               Natalia Jaskiewicz   

Portugal (Assembly of the Republic)                            Luísa Pinto Basto

Romania (House of Deputies)                                      Irina Bojin

Romania (Senate)                                                        Ioan Ilie

Slovakia (National Council)                                           Jarmila Novakova

Sweden (Riksdag)                                                        Nicolas Barbier (acting)

Turkey (Grand National Assembly)                               Yesim Uslu

Ukraine (Supreme Rada)                                              Ihor Mysyk

United Kingdom (House of Commons)                        Libby Davidson

United States (House of Representatives)                   Susan Olson

United States (Senate)                                                 Julia Reed

Accompanying the delegations

Albania                                                                         Denis Gila     

France                                                                          Sylvie Bizzozzero

Germany                                                                       Andrea Bou-Said

Germany                                                                       Sybille Koch

Germany                                                                       Juliane Meyl

Greece                                                                          Sophia Vergis

Italy (Senate)                                                                Laura Ellina Tabladini

Italy (Chamber of Deputies)                                         Pia Califano

Italy (Chamber of Deputies)                                         Stefania Perozzi

Netherlands                                                                  Wilma Kooijman

Norway                                                                         Lisbeth Merete Stock

Poland                                                                          Andrzej Januszewski

Romania                                                                       Ionel Ivan

Spain                                                                            Araceli Quintano

United Kingdom                                                            Sue Holt

United Kingdom                                                            Andrew Hubner

 

Canadian Secretariat                                               Jim Cox

 

International Secretariat

Eva Antunano

Isabelle Arcis

Andrius Avizius

Sébastien Botella

Helen Cadwallender

Roberta Calorio

                                                                                    Salima Chebrek

                                                                                    Arianna Checchi

Paul Cook

Joanna Ganson

Valérie Geffroy

Dominique gins

Christine Heffinck

André Kahlmeyer

Reena Panchal

Žana Paul

Ruxandra Popa

James Rhys

Steffen Sachs

Christine Salmon

Zachary Selden

Olga Stuzhinskaya

Svitlana Svyetova

Tim Sweijs

Claire Watkins

Catherine Zekas

 

Minute Writers                                                          Maureen Sinanoglu

                                                                                    Jeannie Vest              


The meeting opened at 10.15 with Mrs Elizabeth Rody (Chief of Protocol and Head of Conference Secretariat) in the Chair.

                     

1.       Opening of the proceedings

 

The Secretary of Delegation, Mr Denis Robert (CA), welcomed everyone to Québec and introduced Mrs Elizabeth Rody, who introduced the local staff and team of co-ordinators responsible for the Session preparation.

 

Mr Hobbs (NATO PA) expressed his tremendous pleasure to be in Québec and noted the professionalism, competence and warm welcome of the organizers.

 

Ms Rawling (NATO PA) introduced the new Secretary of Delegation: Ms Jana Schneeweissova from the Chamber of Deputies (CZ).  She then welcomed those replacing the official Secretaries of Delegation for this Session only: Mrs Manjola Alizoti-Enz (AL), Mrs Zabela Ghazaryan (AM), Mr Luis Balsells (European Parliament), Mrs Vassiliki Ioannidou (GR), Ms Alja Skibin (SI), Mr Jorge Villarino (SP), Mr Nicolas Barbier (SE), Mr Alexandre Füzesséry (CH).  She also introduced the new Mediterranean Research Fellow at the NATO PA, André Kahlmeyer.

 

 

2.       Adoption of the Draft Agenda [210 SD 06 E]

 

The Draft Agenda [210 SD 06 E] was adopted.

 

 

3.       Adoption of the Minutes of the meeting of the Secretaries of Delegation held in Paris, France, on Friday 26 May 2006 [145 SD 06 E]

 

The Minutes [145 SD 06 E] were adopted.

 

 

4.       Questions concerning the current session [handbook]

 

Mrs Rody (CA) reviewed details on the working programme for the Session, and made a PowerPoint presentation covering general information and the social programme.

 

Mr Rhys (NATO PA) emphasized the delicately balanced table plan for the Standing Committee dinner to be held on 15 November and urged delegates to confirm their presence and that of their spouse.

 

Mrs Rody then continued with the presentation regarding transport arrangements, lunch facilities, and environmental stewardship.

 

Mr Hobbs mentioned the change in the title “Opening Ceremony” to “Keynote Addresses” and also that nominations for Assembly officers must be handed in to the Sittings Office well before Thursday 16 November. He also referred to the new document regarding the procedure for Committee resolutions in Committees and in the plenary sitting.

 

 

5.             Consideration of the Draft Agenda of the Standing Committee meeting [211 SC 06 E Rev.1]

 

Mr Hobbs briefly reviewed the Draft Agenda, mentioning the items dealing with the ongoing work in the Working Group on Assembly Reform and the amendments to the Assembly Rules of Procedure.  

 

He also mentioned that the Secretary General’s Report had been mutated into a report for the Co‑ordination Meeting that afternoon as well as for discussion in the Standing Committee.  He informed participants that following the dry run meeting in Copenhagen which had been held on an ad hoc basis, attendance at the Co-ordination Meeting should include both Committee and Sub‑Committee Chairmen, as well as Secretaries of Delegations if they wished to observe the proceedings.

 

He announced that due to scheduling conflicts, Mr Lellouche (FR) would be unable to chair the Standing Committee meeting or preside at the Plenary Sitting and that substitutes would be discussed by the Bureau.

 

 

6.             Preparation of the Standing Committee meeting in Budapest, Hungary, from 23 to 25 March 2007

 

Mr Tüzes (HU) provided information regarding the meeting of the Standing Committee in Budapest from 23 to 25 March 2007. He informed participants that hotel accommodation had been pre-reserved at the Sofitel Hotel. Reservation forms would be distributed in early December by the International Secretariat and should be returned by 31 January 2007 at the latest.

 

Additionally, he informed participants of an exhibition being held in Quebec commemorating the Revolution of the 50th Anniversary of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution and Fight for Freedom, and that during the session the Political Committee would be adopting a resolution recognising the importance of that Revolution.

 

 

7.             Preparation of the Spring Session in Madeira, Portugal, from 25 to 28 May 2007

         

-Draft Programme [056 SESP 06 E]

 

Ms Pinto Basto (PT) informed participants that arrangements for the Spring Session in Madeira were moving along quickly and smoothly in close co-operation with Ms Rawling and the secretariat of the NATO-PA.

 

A video on Madeira was shown.

 

She invited participants to take copies of the brochures she had provided which indicated the hotels selected for the Session.

 

Ms Rawling informed participants that the official accommodation document would be distributed during the first week of December 2006.

 

 

8.             Preparation of the 53rd Annual Session in Reykjavik, Iceland, from Friday 5 to Tuesday 9 October 2007

 

- Draft Programme [217 SESA 06 E]

 

Mr Stefánsson (IS) pointed out that the annual session being held in Reykjavik from 5 to 9 October 2007 marked the first time Iceland would be hosting a NATO Parliamentary Assembly Session. He would give fuller information at the Secretaries of Delegations meeting in Madeira and would endeavour to provide a video on that occasion.

 

 

 

9.             Future Sessions and Meetings [024 GEN 06 E Rev.2]

 

- Meetings in 2008, 2009 and 2010

 

          No comments.

10.        Liaison between Delegations and the International Secretariat

 

Ms Heffinck (NATO PA) invited comments from participants on the new procedure for the payment of transportation in connection with Committee visits.

 

There being no negative comments, she informed participants that the new system would be used for the TransAtlantic Seminar, and that their payments should be made quickly in view of the closure of accounts.

 

Participants were advised to take note of the booklet “Guidelines for Committee Visits” which gave procedural details for the organisation of such visits.

 

 

11.        Any other business

 

Ms Olson (US) wished to know whether the security measures taken that morning on entering the building, which concerned in particular the control of all electronic devices, would be applied throughout the session.

 

Mrs Rody replied that they were normal security procedures and would continue until the close of the Session. They would however be speeded up by additional personnel.

 

The meeting closed at 11.00.

 

 

 

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