ISTANBUL - The 48th Annual Session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (NATO PA) will take place in Istanbul from November 15 to 19, 2002.
A statement of the parliament said on Saturday that NATO PA President Rafael Estrella and Head of the NATO PA Turkish Delegation Tahir Kose will hold a press briefing and give information about the annual session on November 14.
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Parliament Speaker, NATO Secretary General Lord George Robertson and Estralla will make speeches in the opening session of the annual session which will be held at the Lufti Kirdar Istanbul Convention and Exhibition Centre on November 15.
Robertson will respond to questions of reporters about NATO and security when leaving the annual session.
The Session will bring together about 350 legislators from over 40 countries including the 19 NATO member countries, 17 NATO PA associate members and up to 11 parliamentary observer states.
NATO's adaptation to meet the new challenges posed by the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), terrorist threats to its members and the forthcoming enlargement of NATO are set to dominate the 48th Annual Session.
Political, Defence and Security, Economics and Security, Science and Technology, and the Civil Dimension of Security committees will hold meetings on November 16 and 17. 15 reports will be taken up in these meetings.
A major highlight will be the Assembly's debate at the Plenary Sitting on November 19 on a Draft Declaration on NATO Transformation. The declaration is expected to give priority to fight against terrorism and proliferation of mass destructive weapons and call for renewal of 1999 NATO Strategic Concept.
The final version of the declaration approved by the Assembly will be presented to NATO leaders at the Prague Summit on November 21-22.
New NATO PA President, who will take over the office for two years, will be elected on November 19. Douglas Bereuter, the head of the U.S. delegation, is expected to be the only nominee.
Kose will hold a joint press conference with NATO PA predecessor and successor presidents later in the day to evaluate the work of the assembly.