NOTE
PR/CP(2011)

NAC visit to Georgia / Meeting of the NATO-Georgia Commission

Tbilisi – Batumi, Georgia, 9-10 November 2011

GENERAL INFORMATION
  1. At the invitation of the Georgian authorities, the North Atlantic Council (NAC) will visit Georgia on 9-10 November 2011.
  1. On 9 November, the Secretary General will chair a meeting of the NATO-Georgia Commissionin Tbilisi, with the participation of Georgian Prime Minister Nika Gilauri.
  1. On 10 November, in Tbilisi,the NATO Ambassadors and the Secretary General will also meetChairman of the Georgian Parliament David Bakradze and members of the Georgian Parliament. They will also have a meeting with Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze.Outreach activities will be organized, during which the NATO Ambassadors will engage with members of the opposition parties, media and NGOs.
  1. The President of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili, will meet the NATO Permanent Representatives and the Secretary General in Batumi on 10 November.
  1. The Secretary General will also have bilateral meetings with the Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, Chairman of the Parliament David Bakradze and Prime Minister Nika Gilauri. The Secretary General will deliver a speech at the State University of Tbilisi and will greet Georgian troops having served in Afghanistan.

PROGRAMME AND MEDIA ACCESS

  1. The events in Tbilisi will start on 9 November during the afternoon, and will continue the morning of 10 November. Subsequently NAC will travel to Batumi, where events will take place during the afternoon.
  1. Media opportunities during the first day:

Times for the events:

  • coverage of the opening remarks of the NATO-Georgia Commission meeting
  • the press conference of the Chairman of the NATO-Georgia Commission (Radisson Blue Iveria Hotel) in the late afternoon.
  1. During the second day, the following main events are open for media coverage:
  • opening remarks at the meetings with members of the Parliament and the President of Georgia
  • joint press conference by NATO Secretary General and President Saakashvili (the latter expected late afternoon)
  1. The definitive program will be handed to media representatives upon accreditation. It will include restricted access by selected visual media to the opening of the meetings and the official portrait, and unrestricted access to press conferences.
  1. Live coverage of the media events is foreseen and will be made available by NATO on web streaming and via satellite. The public opening remarks and the NATO Secretary General’s press conference will be available on the NATO website ( after the event. The NATO TV/Radio Office in Brussels will make available video and still photographic material via the NATO website and upon request in broadcast quality; furthermore, an edited package will also be available upon request via the NATO TV/Radio office in Brussels after the meeting.
  1. Access to the facilities in Tbilisi by the media wishing to cover the events will be possible starting from 9November, 9h00. Access to the facilities in Batumi will start from the morning of 10 November.Those media representatives wishing to bring in TV, photo or large recording equipment (including SNGs or OB vans) must arrive at the venues ahead of time for security checks.

MEDIA ACCREDITATION

  1. Prior accreditation is required and must be made through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia – at Applications for accreditation must be submitted before Saturday 5 November 2011 close of business. Applications received after that deadline might not be considered.
13.Distribution of the media badges will take place in both Tbilisi and Batumi. Media can pick up their accreditation starting from 8 November, 10h00, at the Radisson Blue Iveria Tbilisi, or starting from 9 November,10h00, at the Sheraton Hotel Batumi. Identification requirements for entrance to the venues: photo ID and a valid press credential from a recognized national authority.
  1. Security screening will take place upon entering the venues, which frequently results in long lines and delays getting into the hotel. Media representatives should time their arrival on site accordingly.

FACILITIES / TRANSPORT / ACCOMMODATION

  1. Equipped media centers are foreseen in both Radisson Blue Iveria Hotel and Sheraton Hotel (PCs, Wi-Fi and LAN internet connections, printers, CCTV system broadcasting the events open for the media, telephone and fax lines, photocopiers). The press conference rooms will be cabled for sound in three languages (English, French, and Georgian).
  1. Media representatives interested in covering the events should make their own arrangements regarding transport to Tbilisi, accommodation and / or visa. Access to the venues might be difficult on 9 and 10 November and media representatives are encouraged to allow for extra time to pass through security controls.
  1. Transport will be provided between Radisson Blue Iveria and the Parliament for the morning of 10 November. Transport from Tbilisi to Batumi will be provided for a limited number of journalists; details can be obtained from the Georgian media coordinator (contacts below).
ENQUIRIES

Mrs. NatiaChiqovaniMrs. Alina Coca

Georgian Media CoordinatorNATO Media Coordinator

E-mail:-mail:

Phone: +32 (0)2 707 50 41. Fax: +32 (0)2 707 50 57.

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