Boozman, Ross and their colleagues discussed a wide array of issues during the meetings including Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, the threat of global terrorism, trade with China and renewable energy.  Additionally, Members of the Congressional Delegation met directly with the U.S. Ambassador to NATO, Victoria Nuland, and the United States Ambassador to the OECD, Connie Morella.    

"We discussed a number of issues at these meetings including Iran's refusal to comply with the international community's concerns about their nuclear program; the election of a Hamas-majority Palestinian Parliament and the terrorist attacks on innocent civilians and coalition forces that continue in Iraq.  These issues are representative of the bigger issue facing NATO, which is the need to transition the organization into an alliance that can address the current threat of terrorism and radical Islam.  The world is a much different place since the time the organization was created and the NATO alliance needs to reflect that,” said Boozman. 
 
“In this post 9/11 era, our world has changed in so many ways and we need our allies more than ever before.  The threat of another terrorist attack spans the world over and must be jointly confronted in a unified manner.  Throughout the week, we also discussed the need for renewable energy.  At a time when the United States consumes 21 million barrels of oil a day, and China and India are experiencing staggering growth and development, we must make research and development of safe, alternative, and renewable energy a global priority, not solely an American priority.  It took the world 125 years to consume the first trillion barrels of oil; and we are likely to consume the next trillion in just 25 years.  The world cannot continue to consume oil at the current rate and expect supplies to be abundant and prices to remain low,” said Ross.

Boozman and Ross are members of the NATO-PA, which is an inter-parliamentary organization of legislators from the twenty-six member countries of NATO and twenty-two associate countries.  The NATO-PA has been meeting since 1955 to build support for the NATO Alliance within the national legislatures and to provide recommendations to the Secretary General of NATO and the North Atlantic Council.  Many of the reforms in NATO have first come from the Assembly.  It also provides a way for legislators in member countries to stay informed about changes in NATO and about military reforms in the twenty-two associate countries. 

Boozman has been a member of the NATO-PA since 2003 when Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL) appointed him to be a U.S. delegate to the organization.  Ross, nominated by Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), and appointed to the NATO-PA by Speaker Hastert in March, was attending his third meeting of the organization. 

For more information on the North American Treaty Organization Parliamentary Assembly, please visit http://www.nato-pa.int.