No. 214-P:07/27/95:Secretary of Defense William J. Perry an
Secretary of Defense William J. Perry announced today that he will host a
meeting of the Defense Ministers of the North Atlantic Alliance at Colonial
Williamsburg, Virginia, on October 5-6, 1995, under the chairmanship of the
NATO Secretary General Mr. Willy Claes.
A NATO Defense Ministerial media center will be located at the Williamsburg
Woodlands complex. The agenda and final program of the meeting has not yet
been set. Due to limited space, some media events will only be covered on a
pool basis. Requests for pool cards should be made when checking in at the
accreditation desk.
Additional information to facilitate planning for press coverage is attached.
NATO DEFENSE MINISTERIAL
Information for Media
NEWS CONFERENCES AND PRESS BRIEFINGS
The main news conferences of the Secretary General of NATO and the Secretary
of Defense will take place at the Media Center. National press briefings will
take place at the Media Center or Williamsburg Lodge Hotel. Transportation
between the Media Center and the Williamsburg Lodge will be available for
scheduled briefings.
ACCREDITATION AND SECURITY
Media representatives who wish to cover the meeting should complete the
attached "request for accreditation" form and send it no later than August 25,
1995 to the NATO Press and Media Service office or the NATO Defense Ministerial
Task Force whose addresses, telephone and fax numbers are found at the end of
this advisory. Press passes will be available for collection at the Media
Center from 0900 on Monday, October 2, 1995 on presentation of an ID card,
passport or press card. Press passes must be worn inside the Media Center and
when covering Ministerial events. An ID card must be shown at any time upon
request of the security personnel. All media representatives accredited to the
meeting are advised that security personnel will examine equipment and personal
effects carried onto the site. To avoid delays, media representatives must
arrive early to be able to clear the security checks. Television, wire
services and radio networks that have bulky equipment are particularly urged to
move most of it as early as possible into the media area.
MEDIA CENTER
The Media Center staffed by NATO and Department of Defense will be
established in Williamsburg Woodlands' Commonwealth Hall from 2-7 October 1995.
Media Center hours of operation will be:
9 a.m. - 8 p.m. Monday, October 2
8 a.m. - 10 p.m. Tuesday, October 3
8 a.m. - midnight Wednesday, October 4
6 a.m. - midnight Thursday, October 5
5 a.m. - 10 p.m. Friday, October 6
8 a.m. - 2 p.m. Saturday, October 7
The Media Center will be equipped with adequate workspace, communication and
transmission facilities. The telephones will be credit card activated.
Commercial catering facilities will also be available.
TRANSPORTATION - PARKING
Media representatives should make their own transportation arrangements to and
from Colonial Williamsburg. The Media Center is located approximately 20
minutes driving time from the nearest airport, the Newport News/Williamsburg
International Airport, and 45 minutes from Norfolk, VA and Richmond, VA
airports. Washington National Airport and Washington Dulles Airport are
approximately three hours drive to Colonial Williamsburg. Media
representatives are advised that shuttle planes between Washington Dulles
airport and Newport News are too small to carry bulky equipment and that the
number of daily flights is rather limited. The main highway into the area is
Interstate 64, exit 238. From the highway exit, follow green and white
Colonial Williamsburg signs to the visitor center, which is adjacent to
Commonwealth Hall. There is limited Amtrak passenger train and Greyhound bus
service to Colonial Williamsburg. Parking is available at the Media center.
Bus transportation from the Media Center to media events will be arranged and
will be the only means for entering established security zones where media
events will occur. Departure times will be announced at the Media Center.
ACCOMMODATIONS
Accommodations at the Media Center complex will be available on a first
come-first served basis. Media representatives interested in staying there
should make their own reservations by calling 1(800) 447-8679 and asking for
the Williamsburg Woodlands reservations desk (indicate you are staying in
conjunction with the NATO Defense Ministerial). Reservations should be made
before August 31, 1995. In view of the tourist season in this area, dates of
arrival and departure as well as the number of occupants per room have to be
made clear when making the reservation. Although other accommodations are
available in the area, notification of changes to the event schedule cannot be
guaranteed if you are not lodging at the Woodlands complex.
PAYMENTS
Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover credit cards will be adequate
for payment.
ACCREDITATION/GENERAL INQUIRIES
For accreditation or general questions regarding the NATO Defense Ministerial
write or call:
NATO Defense Ministerial Task Force
2000 Navy Pentagon, Room 4D578
Washington, DC 20053-2000
Tel: (703) 614-3124
Fax: (703) 614-3098
For accreditation or specific questions regarding NATO issues write or call:
NATO
( Press and Media Service)
Boulevard Leopold III
1110 Brussels, Belgium
Tel: (32-2) 728-4328 or 5038
Fax: (32-2) 728-5057 or 5058
ACCREDITATION FORMS AND MAPS
Accreditation forms and maps are available from the Directorate for Defense
Information in the Pentagon, Room 2E765. The point of contact is CDR Chuck
Franklin, (703) 697-5131.
