Spring plenary session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Vilnius finalized

 
The Parliamentary Assembly of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO PA) adopted the Declaration on Transatlantic Relations during its 30 May - 1 June 2014 plenary session in Vilnius, Lithuania. The Declaration fosters unity in the NATO Alliance, including recognizing an “Open Door” policy for fully-fledged NATO membership, with Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia and Georgia particularly emphasized.

The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH (BiH PA) and Chairperson of the Delegation of the BiH PA in the NATO PA, Dr. Božo Ljubić, introduced his NATO PA counterparts to the serious situation in BiH after the recent catastrophic floods, stressing an urgent need to help the local population tackle the aftermath of the floods. During the speeches, a number of participants expressed their solidarity with the flood-affected Western Balkans countries.

The three-day session of the NATO PA was marked by discussion about the current situation in Ukraine. At the beginning of the session, besides the Secretary General, Mr. Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the President of the NATO PA, Mr Hugh Bayley, and Lithuanian officials addressed participants. Referring to discussions on Ukraine, the Declaration on Supporting Ukraine was adopted, which expresses the NATO PA’s solidarity with the people of Ukraine in defending their national independence and territorial integrity. (end)