Europe

Home page

Europe

NATO Summit begins today

03 April 2009 11:23 (UTC +04:00)

Strasbourg. Fuad Gulubeyli â€“APA. NATO Summit is started on Friday in Strasbourg, France, APA European bureau reports. Heads of states and governments of NATO countries are arriving in Strasbourg and Baden-Baden, Germany. US President Barack Obama arrives in Strasbourg today. He will meet with his French counterpart. The US and French leaders will have a dinner at â€œChateau des Rohanâ€. In the second half of the day, Obama will address the Youth Summit, nearly 4 thousand local and foreign students studying in Strasbourg and nearby German cities.

The NATO Summit will be officially opened at 6.00 pm by local time on Friday in Baden-Baden, Germany. Following the opening ceremony, the NATO leaders will watch the concert program by famous German cellist Anne-Sophie Mutter. Later on German Chancellor Angela Merkel will give a dinner to the guests.

The heads of states and governments of NATO member countries will discuss the common and strategic challenges at the allianceâ€™s 60thn anniversary summit and search the prospects of NATO place in the Euro-Atlantic security context for the elaboration of new strategic concept, APA European bureau reports. NATO strategy in Afghanistan, situation in Kosovo, US new governmentâ€™s strategy on ISAF and KFOR, the allianceâ€™s defense system and transformation of mechanisms of arms control, relations with Russia, Franceâ€™s intention for full-right back to NATOâ€™s military wing and its impact on NATO-EU relations will be on agenda.

The heads of states and governments, foreign and defense ministers of NATO member countries, their permanent representatives to the alliance, NATO Secretary General, chief of the military committee, European Commander-in-Chief of ally forces and Commander-in-Chief of the transformation forces will attend the summit in Strasbourg.